Counting Stars
by MrsDarcy14
Summary: Lauren wakes up for her first day at Beacon Hills High to the biggest surprise of her life. Somehow, she is connected to the strange happenings around the area, and the nightmares that plague her are more than they seem. Isaac Lahey is drawn to Lauren in ways he cannot explain, and vows to help her. But with trouble brewing around her, has Lauren bitten off more than she can chew?
1. Chapter 1

"Mom!" I cried out as I ran out of my room. "Have you seen the rest of the hair curlers?"

My mother looked up from her magazine while lying in bed and took in the sight of her daughter before her. Half of my hair was up in foam rollers while the rest was swaying around my shoulders and dripping down onto my favorite faded blue night shirt. Green shorts popped out from beneath the tee and were living up to their name; short.

"No, Lauren. No idea. You're the only one in the house with long enough hair to use them. Besides, you already have wavy hair, why do you need to curl it?"

I turned away from my parent's room and grumbled something about "It's not the same thing" and ventured into the bathroom down the hall. Mother laughed softly from her room, knowing, as I had been numerously told, her daughter took after her in many ways.

Some song I had heard on the radio was stuck in my head and my toe started tapping while I observed out bathroom shelves to try and find those stupid curlers. Finally, the pink and blue accessories showed up and I ventured back to my room. When I went to look in the mirror, I noticed the dark circles that had recently shown up underneath my eyes. This one dream had been haunting me, and every night I awoke feeling panicked and drenched in sweat. I think the worst part though was that feeling of screaming, yet nothing was coming out of my mouth. The only thing I could remember was fire, and tons of it, engulfing this building, and somehow I knew people were trapped inside with no way out. And there was this lingering sense I couldn't shake as I lie awake at night trying to calm my racing heart. A feeling that I could have done something to prevent the tragedy happening within my head, and it was starting to drive me crazy.

My old school councilor had said that dreams never really mean anything, that they are just a projection of my imagination or whatever. But sometimes I wondered if this was true or just something people said to justify what happens within _their _alternate realities. Did murderers dream of the various ways to kill a person before they carried out the act? Or were their heads filled with made up worlds and cotton candy rainbows? Sometimes being human was a lot more confusing than it was worth.

So as I finally shut my laptop for the night and started to think about how school would go tomorrow, I began wishing I was still back home. Or, at least where I considered to be my home. My family and I had moved out here about three weeks ago to Beacon Hills, California all the way from Arizona; in a town that no one had heard of smack dab in the middle of the desert. But I loved it there; the sand and the rocks and the heat. Everything called for adventure, but here in the city it felt like all that needed to be seen already was. But, as dad said, his job was more important than a pinprick town on the map, so he packed me and my mother up and flew us to California. He was an airplane pilot and the jet company he worked for needed a few people out here. Lucky for us, he got chosen. And we got moved.

I rolled over onto my side and looked up at the photo of my best friend and I standing on a giant rock in her backyard and making goofy faces. After a few moments I felt my eyes grow damp so I pushed the frame down and flipped to my back, starting to get comfortable for the night.

The soft tune of Clare de Lune floated in the background, and my eyes fluttered with sleep weighing them down. I was so, so tired from waking up every night screaming and no one being able to hear, and I hoped that this night would break the ritual.

Across the room my curtains softly flowed with the breeze of the wind, and I was grateful that it cooled down at night here.

In no time at all, I closed my eyes and was finally in a deep, undisturbed sleep.

I awoke a few hours later with a small sense of panic blooming in my chest. _Not again_, I thought, but then realized I wasn't outside the warehouse watching it burn, but in my own bed, so I relaxed. The wind was blowing more fiercely now, and a smell drifting through my room sent my senses on high alert. Smoke. Unexpectedly, it was entering my room from under my door, so I flew out of bed and flung the barrier open. I was met by a wall of fire that was moving across the entire floor, and as I tried to scream for my parents a gust of smoke caught in my throat and I was sent back reeling. The curtains moved violently against my windows, and I thought that maybe jumping was my only option. But when I saw what was outside my mind was swayed. A black abyss had swallowed my house, and below was nothing but air.

A voice was calling from down the hole though, and I stuck my head out to hear it better. "Mom?" I screamed, "Dad! Is that you?"

"_Join us…"_it called from down the cavern. _"Just jump down…"_

I grabbed my hair and felt panic rising quickly within me, but something felt off. "This can't be happening, this is just a dream. A dream Lauren, and you need to wake – "

Just as I had thought nothing could go worse, it did. My door flew open and the fire moved inside. I backed into a corner as much as I did, and just as the flames were about to grab me –

I woke up. I bolted up; breathing heavy and hands were fisted around my sheets beside me. That dream had been the worst of them all. Never had I been in the fire, merely just an observer. Glancing over at the clock, I saw that it was already five am. I groaned as I thought of both of my parents already downstairs eating breakfast and getting ready to go. The airport was a bit of a commute, so my mom dropped my dad off and then went on her way to her new real estate job.

The house seemed especially lonely in these early hours, when it creaked and groaned its good mornings. I covered my head with my sheets and tried to fall back asleep; knowing that only six hours of sleep would lead to a terrible first day in a new school.

Luckily I did manage to sleep a bit more. When my alarm went off, I felt much more rested than I had a few hours ago. I stretched my arms up and over, feeling the pull in my muscles as good. My right arm smacked into something that I figured was just a box I had forgotten to move last night, but then it did something that most boxes don't do on their own. It moved.

Opening my eyes for the first time that morning I blinked away the sleep still fighting in my eyes and looked over to my right. There, totally just sleeping away, was a boy.

"What the shit?!" I screamed as I scooted backwards towards to edge of my bed. I didn't notice the edge and went toppling over, my body now matching how my mind felt. Heart beating fast, I hid against the outside of my sheets and peeked over at the graceful form presiding on my mattress. Not really knowing what to do, I watched him for a few minutes. He was cute. No, more than cute. He was downright beautiful. And he was sleeping on my bed.

"Breath, Lauren, just go wake him up," I whispered to myself to try and raise my confidence level.

Cautiously, I reached over and poked him lightly on the arm. "Hello? Are you…umm…lost?" I had no idea what to say. This was probably the weirdest situation I had ever been in, hands down.

His eyes flew open to reveal a shade of blue that rivaled the ocean, and he blinked up at me a few times. God, why did he have to be so beautiful?

He looked at me for a minute, and then said, "Can I help you with something?"

"Well," I replied, caught a bit off guard. "You're kinda, um, sleeping in my bed. And I don't really know who you are. And…yeah, that sums it up I think."

So. I had woken up to go to school and found a gorgeous, mysterious stranger sleeping on my bed. _Everything has to go up from here, right?_ I thought.

But oh, dear lord, how wrong indeed I was.

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What do ya'll think? R&R please! I'll have another chapter up on Thursday:)


	2. Chapter 2

I lied :) It's here today! I'm really hyped about this story, so thanks for reading!

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The boy slowly in took his surroundings, and a look of horror grew on his face that became mixed with a rosy blush that blossomed on his cheeks. He stood up and continued to look around while asking, "Wh-where am I? Do I know you? You don't look familiar."

I thought I should be the one asking the questions, but I answered anyways. "My name is Lauren, and no I don't know you, I just moved in. How the hell did you get into my house?" Slowly, I moved towards my metal fake Eiffel tower statue and hid it behind my back for protection when he wasn't looking.

"So…you are?" I asked. "Isaac…" he replied, but seemed distracted while doing so. "Well, Isaac, I woke up this morning with a strange man in my bed, and as lovely as that-"

He cut me off saying, "I've been here before. I think. No," and chills ran down my spine as he peeked out my window and glanced around. "I definitely have."

That was the last straw for me. "That's it. I'm calling the cops, so don't move," and I turned to grab my cell phone off my night stand a few feet away. But before I made it there a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "Wait! Just, let's figure this out together. No need to involve anyone else."

In my head, a voice was screaming to break away and quit staring at his hand resting on my arm like it was the Holy Spirit himself. But instead my eyes traveled up his arm and met his eyes, causing my own cheeks to start flushing in response.

We stood like that for one tense moment, then he broke the silence by softly saying, "let's go downstairs and chat." I broke away and scratched my head, and for the first time that morning realizing that I hadn't brushed my teeth or taken the hair curlers out from the night before. Ugh. Of course this happened today.

I left my room and pointed Isaac down the hall towards the stairs and bolted into the bathroom. The next five minutes were the fastest I have ever gone thrown half of my morning routine in my life, all the while thinking, _there is a boy, in my house. I look like a grandmother. A cute boy, but a strange boy and I think I need to call the cops. Or dad. No, dad would attack him. What do I do?_

A few minutes later I felt a bit better so I followed the sound of running water coming from the kitchen. Isaac stood in front of the sink filling up a glass of water and clutching a towel in his other hand. His shirt was rolled up part way to reveal a cut that was about three inches long and followed his hip bone.

"Oh my god! Are you ok? Did that just happen?" I threw the questions at him not really expecting an answer, and scrambling to find medical supplies that could aid the situation in the cabinets which I was still unfamiliar with.

He turned at the sound of my voice and smiled to one side, which caused my heart to slip down to my stomach. "Nah, I'm fine. Just a little scratch." I glared at the cut and marched over with a gauze square and some medical tape, ready to fix him up. Isaac jumped when my cold fingers grabbed him, but allowed me to place the square on his skin. I had to block out how I was resting my hands on his bare skin, and how nice his tummy looked, but as soon as I was done I stepped back and tried to clear my head. I pointed to the kitchen table and said, "You. Sit." And walked over and took the seat opposite.

Isaac crossed the room in a few strides and took the seat, all the while still looking around him like he kept expecting to see something he missed. "So," I started. "You were in my room."

"Yeah…that was not where I thought I'd be waking up," he said a bit shy. He reached back and scratched his head while saying, "But honestly, I went to bed in my house and don't remember running here or getting into your room. It's all just…sleeping."

I stared at him for a while, but realized quickly that I believed him. Who would make up not remembering breaking into someone's house so they could take a nap? It didn't make any sense, but blaming Isaac was not the right course of action.

Isaac leaned in across the table and said, "I wasn't lying when I said this place looked familiar though. Something about the yard and the house itself feels like I recognize it."

I almost dropped my tea mug onto the table at that comment. "Did you know the people who lived here before?" I ventured to ask, not sure if I wanted to know why he knew my house.

"No," he sounded baffled, "I don't even know what part of town I'm in."

The next few moments were silence, with me drinking tea as quiet as I could and Isaac still looking around my house.

"Well…" I finally said. I couldn't sit there doing nothing anymore. Plus, if we didn't leave soon we would be late to school. "Do you want a ride to school? I don't want to be late on my first day."

He scoffed slightly, and then said, "Oh right. School. Yeah I guess," and smiled like he almost pitied me for thinking of the subject.

A half an hour later we packed into my car and were pulling out of the driveway. Just as I was about to drive away, something caught my attention on the side of my house. A giant scratch in the paint led right to my window. It looked as though someone had climbed with their bare hands up the wall. Isaac saw me staring and his whole face changed. His eyes bugged out and his jaw went slack, the shock evident as it splayed across his face.

"Well, I guess the window mystery is no longer," I tried to joke, but it came out sounding wrong, and we both just looked at each other mystified.

To sum up the ride to school in one word would be easy; awful. Neither of us knew what to say. Anything about the past few hours was almost taboo, and the small chat about school was painful at best. Finally Isaac turned on the radio and we both fell silent for the rest of the ride.

"Oh, you can just drop me here," he told me about a block away from the entrance. My heart dropped, and I was certain that it was because he didn't want to be seen with me. Great. I can't even befriend the one person who was literally at my doorstep on the first day.

I pulled over and he got out, pausing with his hand on the frame of the car. "So Lauren, I noticed we have a few classes together. Guess I'll see you then?" and good God the smile that boy gave me almost made me forget that he was ditching out early. "I have a friend I have to meet, and he's a bit weird about new people, no offense or anything." I nodded and waved, watching a man emerge from the bushed and walk towards Isaac. Well, what do you know? He wasn't lying.

Confidence slightly boosted, I found the school entrance easy enough. Finding a parking spot, however, was not so easy. I was panicky and nervously checking the clock right up until I turned the car off and was about to jump out and run to my car when it hit me.

My vision went dark as if smoke had covered my eyes, and I lost my sense of feeling of anything around me. I heard wings beating close to my ears, and they were getting closer.

_Open your eyes…_

That voice…I had heard it once before in my dreams.

_Joins us, young one. All you must do it jump…_

I had to get out of this. What the hell was happening to me?

_JUMP!_

I slammed my hands down on my horn as hard as I could, startling a few people nearby. My whole body was shaking and I felt as though I had no control over anything. I told myself to keep breathing, and focused on the inward and outward pattern that held the life cycle together. After a few seconds, I calmed down.

Two things had become evident to me that day.

One; I needed to know what in the world was up with Isaac. I mean for God's sake the kid woke up in my bedroom? One way to greet a new classmate, but unless that was normal in Beacon Hills something more was going on here.

And two; what were these strange visions that kept attacking me?

I had a lot to figure out my first day, and that was even before I tackled math for the day.

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Thank you guys! R&R! :)


	3. Chapter 3

All day at school I looked for Isaac. I thought I saw him a few times out of the corner of my eye, but it would turn out to be just a poster or another tall boy wandering the halls of Beacon Hills High. BHH for short, but that sounded like a disease to me.

I sat down in English next to a dark haired girl and sighed as my body met the hard plastic seat. She turned to face me and asked, "Rough first day?"

I laughed a bit and said, "You have no idea. My first few hours and already I walked into the wrong locker room in gym class. Hopefully I'll live that down before too many people find out."

She offered me a soft smile and a sympathetic look. "Well, here," she grabbed my hand and pulled it towards her, writing a number down on my arm. "Here's my number if you want to chat later. Last year was my first time here so I know how hard it can be." She smiled one last time before saying, "Oh, and my name's Allison, by the way." And then class began.

The English teacher was a nice woman, but she talked about a book I had already read, so I doodled on the top of my page to keep myself awake. Before too long, a pattern had emerged and I smiled at the progress from the first day of class. The book list didn't seem too difficult, and I was just starting to feel relaxed when Allison did a double take at the symbols I had drawn in class. "Hey," she said scooting over, "Did you want to copy my notes? I can totally come over to your house tonight and help. I've heard this teacher is meticulous about tests that way." Something urgent was in her eyes, and every few seconds they cast back down to the paper. I agreed, and we set a time for that night. After I said goodbye in the hall I went straight for my locker.

When I opened it, I threw my notebook down and looked back at the doodles. Strangely enough I hadn't thought I drew anything of importance, but when I saw them again it seemed as though symbols were covering the entire top half of my paper. The longer I looked, the more my head started to ache from the effort of…_something._ Never before had I seen these symbols, and yet they all seemed familiar. Before I could think any more about it, the passing bell rang and I jumped out of my trance. I left the notebook in my locker as I headed off to math, trying to shake the feeling of disaster that had started brewing in my stomach.

The symbols still swam across my vision as I sat down in my last class of the day. What in the world did all of this mean? What was happening to me?

Someone a few rows up was waving at me, and it caught my attention. There, just a few feet away, sat Isaac. I felt something inside of me relax as I smiled back at him, and he pointed to his phone and then at me. I felt a buzzing from my pocket and I pulled out my old phone.

_How was your first day? Survive?_

I found it odd that Isaac and I were just friends now, but maybe that's what happened when one finds themselves sleeping on a stranger's bed. You found out that fate had other plans than keeping the two of you strangers.

_Well enough. But now I have to sit through math?_

I thought for a second, and then sent a second message.

_And how did you get my number?_

I saw him laugh when the second text arrived, but the teacher walked in after so he quickly hid the mobile device that teachers loved to prey on.

Math had never been my favorite subject. I wasn't bad at it, but there was an element that threw me off at having to be so meticulous in all the calculations that led to the same answers over and over. I was much more of a hands-on science kind of girl.

So between having to sit through math class and having the distraction of being able to watch the back of Isaac's neck, there was no way would I be taking notes here. But the thought of more symbols being peculiarly drawn on my pages frightened me, so I paid close attention as the teacher went through the motions of how to find y given so and so equations.

The fifty minute class dragged on into what it felt like was eternity. But finally, the bell rang and signaled freedom for every student stuck on campus. I felt good about my first day, weird dreams and symbols aside.

Isaac was waiting by my locker when I walked up, and I was now genuinely confused as to how he knew so much about me.

"So. First my phone number, then my locker? Layhe, I think I may have a stalker." I joked as I twisted the dial to the numbers and grabbed my books. Immediately he reached forward and scooped my books out of my arms, apparently intent on carrying them himself.

"I thought I could take you out to lunch to…begin to make up for last night," he proposed with a smile, and added on, "My treat," as an afterthought.

I told him to lead the way and we headed out of school and into the parking lot. Isaac offered to drive, but as soon as I saw his choice of transportation, I protested.

"What," he asked, "never been on a motorcycle before?" Damn him and his stupid charms.

"No, that's the problem. I have," and laughed nervously. My last experience hadn't gone so well, and now I tended to be quite shaky around bikes. But he looked so crushed that I finally caved and told him to hold for just one second while I put my books in my car.

I practically ran to my car and let myself in to sit in the front seat for a moment before heading back out. Steadying my breath and heart rate was a good idea, because it seemed that before I knew what was happening, I had locked my car and swung myself up onto the back of a freaking motorcycle, ready to take off.

Isaac yelled something from the front of the bike, but I couldn't hear through the thick helmet he had given me.

"What?" I yelled back.

The only response I got back was, "Hold on tight!" and he leaned forward and gunned his bike, starting the most heart racing ride I have ever been on.

When we got to the small café downtown, I had actually calmed down a bit to enjoy the ride and the feeling of wind whipping past my face and causing my hair to dance behind me. I kept a steady grip on Isaac's pockets and tried not to crush him every time we turned a corner.

I hopped off first, testing my legs and making sure they would still hold me. Slightly shaky, but I could brush it off. "This is how you get around, then?" I asked.

"Nah, I borrowed it from a friend. He said it should run like new." Isaac seemed proud to be using this death machine, so I kept my mouth shut from whining about the ride back and asked him which café we were going to. He held the door open for me like a perfect gentleman, and I could feel my heart flutter in my chest.

There was something about Isaac that made him different from other boys I had known. Even in the brief period of time that I had known him, I count sense it. It was hard to keep my peaceful composure around him, and yet I barely knew him. Something was up.

But despite my deep thoughts before we sat down, lunch was lovely. We got a chance to chat like he had hoped, and I felt like we could truly be friends now. He explained that there were more classes we had together, but his friend had kept him longer than he had originally planned. Something about making arrangements, but I didn't press the matter when he changed subjects.

Finishing up a story from when my family was moving on, I was saying, " –and then my dad said, 'Wait, it's been here the whole time?' and my mom and I burst out laughing." Isaac laughed quietly at my retelling, and I was a bit surprised at how relaxed I felt around him. There were not too many people I opened my family up for reticule with, so I decided to turn the tables.

"So tell me about your family. You've barely told me a thing about them." But something changed. His face darkened, and he couldn't look me in the eye. I could tell I had hit a sore spot, and was about to apologize when he spoke up.

"My family," he paused for a moment to swirl his straw around his iced tea, "is a difficult subject. Parents are divorced, haven't talked to my mother since I was eight years old, and my father recently passed away. I had an older brother, though, but he was killed in action while serving his country." The way he spoke about them was peculiar; his tone was distant and nonchalant, but his eyes looked as though he was still hurting about it.

I reached over and placed my hand on top of his. "Isaac, I'm so sorry. I had no idea, I didn't mean to pry-"

"You didn't don't worry," he spoke while he smiled at me. I let my hand linger on his for a few seconds, and then gradually pulled it back. There were tingles running up and down my spine as I thought about the first time I touched his skin and felt my cheeks blush, hurriedly pushing the thought aside.

"Where are you staying? If you don't mind me asking," I added on as an afterthought, thinking that perhaps this was not the best thing to discuss.

"My friend Scott's house. You should meet him, I think he would like you," I flushed a deep pink, and Isaac laughed. "And that's his bike we rode out here, so the deal was he got to be introduced."

It was my turn to laugh as I realized how teenage boys could sometimes act like children. In a very cute way, though. That was the first moment that I could feel myself falling for Isaac, and there was nothing I could do to help it.

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**Hey guys! So, I have gotten next to no feedback on this story, and I always love hearing what people have to say! If you could just leave a note to let me know how I'm doing, what you like/dislike about this story so far I would be so grateful. Thank you again for reading, love you all!**


	4. Chapter 4

The bike ride back was fantastic. The sun had just started to set and cast a brilliant display of colors across the sky. Blues swirled with yellow and red and played off the visor of my motorcycle helmet. Downtown Beacon Hills was starting to modernize, and the evidence of new construction was evident.

We drove heading back to the school when I saw it. A vast, unnoticeable warehouse that had no distinct markings, and yet I could differentiate it from the others without a second glance. I pulled on Isaac's sleeve and pointed across the street, and we made our way over. As soon as the bike came to a stop I was jumping off the back and running towards the metal doors. "Lauren?" Isaac called from behind me, but I paid him no mind. I needed to find out what was calling me from this strange location.

As soon as I reached the doors I knew I couldn't open them. They were much too heavy, and a considerable amount of rust had gathered at the edges. I placed both of my hands on the doors, waiting. Something had to be happening inside.

Isaac caught up to me and asked what the matter was, but I shushed him and concentrated on the building. No windows at the front, maybe the sides. I ran to the right to see if anything could shed light upon my absurd nightmares.

Nothing. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration, wondering what strange beacon had called me here. I looked back at Isaac. "Do you feel anything? Like something…unusual happened here?"

He looked at me with an odd expression, but told me no. Finally, it dawned on me. This was the building from my nightmares; the one that had gone up in flames inside my mind for the past three weeks, over and over again leaving me feeling helpless.

I shuddered as I stepped back and came to terms with the fact that today was not the day to unravel the mystery of it all. Checking my watch, I realized that if we didn't hurry, I would be late for meeting up with Allison. We left the abandoned warehouse and the docks, but a feeling of dread fell upon me like someone had poured cold water down my back. But as we drove away, I decided to put it all behind me and focus on the rest of the night.

On the ride up to Scott's house, I started to get nervous. Meeting a boy's parents was one thing, but his best friend? The make or break point of anything for that could happen in the future.

The door swung open before we had a chance to reach it, and a woman with dark curly hair was beaming and ushering us inside. Introductions proved this to be Scott's mother, who was honestly one of the nicest people I've ever met in my life. Cookies and tea were awaiting us, and I couldn't help but laugh a bit at the over the top care, but it was adorable that she cared so much for this boy. Especially through all of the trouble he had gone through, having someone to look out for him would mean the world to Isaac.

It didn't help my fluttering stomach that his cheeks turned bright pink and he couldn't stop smiling at the ground when Melissa beamed at him.

_Damn him and his cheekbones_, my brain registered as I took in the sight of him. Melissa caught me looking at him and winked, then told us to have a seat until Scott got back with the grocery shopping.

I giggled as I poured the tea, and Isaac looked at me, asking, "What?" Smiling, I answered, "Well I just feel, I don't know, posh? Drinking tea like this. It's funny." He mumbled as he looked towards the door, "But I like tea…" And I had to bite the inside of my cheek from grinning too widely.

Scott finally arrived home, and was holding a few grocery bags in his hands. "Mom! I got the eggs and bread and juice…" but his sentence trailed off as he saw Isaac and I watching him from the kitchen table. I opened my mouth to introduce myself, but Scott practically tripped over himself to thrust his hand forward and give me his name.

"Hi! Wow, it's so nice to meet you. I'm Scott McCall, I'm friends with Isaac." I told him my name and he looked over at Isaac with a grin on his face, hopefully indicating that I had passed one test. We chatted for a while, but before long I remembered that I had to head out.

"Sorry boys, study date tonight," I told them. Isaac's eyebrows pulled together in a look of confusion, and Scott just stared at me. "Wait, no, not a date. It's with a girl who's helping me in English class. I missed that notes today." Scott asked me with who, and I replied "Allison, Argent I think her last name is?"

Scott grinned and laughed, causing Isaac to give me a 'who knows' shrug, but something in his eyes told me he knew more than he was letting on. I told Scott to thank his mom, and he gave me a bear hug before I left, leaving me chuckling and he waved us off as we left on his bike.

Getting back to my car left me with time to think about the strange events from earlier down by the warehouses. So I was dreaming of a real place that I had never been? Not possible. And what of those symbols? I might have to ask Allison, seeing how she reacted in class.

I was still mulling over the day's events when we arrived at the school. My red car was parked exactly where I had left it, and the sight of it made me smile. It was nice to have something from my old life that could carry over and be reliable.

Isaac stood nervously to the side of the bike, and suddenly I had no idea what to do next. Realistically, I should be running to my car as fast as I could and hiding, for only this morning had I awoken to him sleeping besides me. But, over the past few hours, I had gotten to know such a sweet yet strong guy who I genuinely liked. He was shy, funny, and damn if his eyes didn't make my stomach flip every three seconds. He coughed and brought my attention back to reality, and I found myself slightly embarrassed.

"So, Lauren…" he started, but I held my hands up to stop him. "Isaac. This morning, you scared the crap out of me. I didn't think that I could ever be friends with someone who would magically find themselves on some girl's bed." He shuffled his feet and kicked a small stone, not meeting my gaze. "But," I continued, "I have grown to like you. So, the way I see it, I have made my first friend upon coming to Beacon Hills. Well, except Scott. That kid makes friends like bunnies make…well, more bunnies." And Isaac laughed at my lame attempt to be funny and walked over to where I was standing. My heart leapt in my throat as he pulled me in for a hug. He was warm, and I could feel his breath on my neck as he said, "Sounds good to me. See you tomorrow, Lauren."

Once I was sitting in my car, I almost danced in my seat with happiness. Just to have a friend was amazing; I was truly expecting to be alone and outcast before I came here. But to have that friend be Isaac? I knew my best friend back in Arizona would be demanding a photo before the week was through.

I arrived home to find another car waiting in the driveway. My parents weren't home, which was normal. They normally got home late, we ate dinner together and chatted, and then Mom went to the den and Dad to sleep for another exciting day. I was already sick of it. I missed the neighborhood barbeques and get together-s we all used to have. Nowadays I was lucky to see my dad four nights a week if he was flying.

Allison waved from her car and we walked up together to the house. She seemed to have been waiting for longer than I had anticipated, but she was fine with it.

For an hour we went over English notes, reading the same text over and over, and discussion what books we had to read ahead of time to be prepared for class. When I opened my notebook, I saw the interest peak on Allison's face. Her eyes moved rapidly over the strange symbols, and for a few moments it was silent.

"Do you know what they mean?" I blurted out, meaning the question to be more of a personal one rather than something I said out loud. Her head jerked up, and she quickly covered. "What? What symbols, I was just trying to read your notes."

"Ok Allison," I said lightly, "I took possibly the worst notes for this class today, and instead of writing anything I ended up with some weird shapes on the top of my page that until you said anything I thought were scribbles. So please, if you know…" I looked back up at Allison and realized my rants sounded ludicrous; how was she to know what in the world these meant?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-" I started. "No," she replied, "It's fine. I actually wanted to get a chance to ask you about them." She scooted her chair closer to mine and composed herself very seriously before speaking again.

"What do you know about your family's history?" I stared at her for a beat, and thought, _Oh great, this isn't a joke._

"Umm," I said, scratching the back of my neck, "I think we're from Europe…somewhere." My roots had always been something that had held a bit of interest for me, but my father never let on where his family was from. "My mom is Irish. Her grandmother moved here when she was a girl, but that's about all I know."

Allison cocked her head at me. "Didn't you ever ask your dad where he's from?" I told her that I had, but nothing had come from the conversation. "Why?" I ventured. "Oh! No reason. Really, I was just curious, you have darker coloring than I thought Irish people had."

I laughed, but felt uneasy inside. Something was off about how she was acting. "Well, not all of us have bright red hair and green eyes. Dark hair is pretty standard for an Irish person, so I fit right in." She smiled, and the odd moment had passed. We continued studying and I decided I liked Allison Argent. Sure, she asked weird questions about my heritage, but she got things done. A friend of hers offered to email us a review of three of the five books we needed to read and she said no; that she's rather stay up reading than scramble over a few notes. I probably would have taken the notes, but I guess that's just me.

A few hours later my parents came home and Allison went back to her house for dinner. I was ecstatic to tell them all about my first day, so the taco night was much appreciated. The airport had a lot of regulations that my father had to complete before he could fly, and he was hoping to be done with them by the end of the month. My mom talked about how the real estate agency had many people from in town working there that had kids at Beacon Hills High.

I sat there turning my taco over in my hands gathering courage to ask my dad a question for three minutes before my parents noticed. "Lauren is something the matter?" my dad asked. I looked up at the two of them. "Can I ask you something? And instead of giving me an 'I don't know', can you tell me the truth?" They both had concerned looks on their faces and nodded immediately. "Where are we from? What is my heritage?"

There was a long silence that sat between us, and a look was shared between my parents.

"That," my mother said, "Is a question we will only ever answer half of."

"What?" I asked incredulously. "That makes no sense!"

My dad put his head in his hands and sighed. "Honey, if we ever gave you the full truth to that," my mother shook her head, but he continued anyways, "Hon, it's time for her to know. If you ever find out certain portions of your heritage, you may not survive."

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**Hey guys. So, the past week has been really rough on my family (we had a huge emergency that just occurred) so I probably won't be updating until much later this week. Just know that I still love this story and am very excited to keep writing, but it might be a little bit. **

**Thank you for your support. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright kids, I'm back. Family ordeal is over, and if you're wondering, my grandmother just passed away which has hit us all hard. But writing was a great distraction and I love this chapter, so without further ado, here's the next part of Counting Stars! Read away!**

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I choked on the drink of water I had just started to swallow and glared at my father. "Excuse me; I'd…_die_ if I found out what my heritage is? That seems a bit dramatic for a bit of information," I scoffed as I placed my glass down on the table.

"You know that my side of the family comes from Ireland," my mother explained. "A long line of O'Brien's straight from Galway." I had always been proud of my known heritage, and I knew my mother was as well. That was one of many things we shared.

And that was all fine and dandy, but this issue with my dad was working its way into my brain. "Dad, what the heck does that even mean? There's no way on Earth I would be harmed for knowing my lineage."

My dad cleared his throat, as he did whenever he had an important announcement, and had the same look on his face from the day he told us he was uprooting our lives and packing us 500 miles west. I braced myself for whatever he was about to tell us.

"There is something in my family called…well, never mind, I can't tell you what it's called, but basically it stands as a rite of passage that transfers from generation to generation. There's a block in our brains that can't be undone unless certain information has been learned. It's vital, especially when you are so young, that this block is never breached," I could see my dad go into engineer mode with his sleeves pushed back and his elbows squared on the table. "When you are older, of course we can tell you. But when that block is broken, there is an extremely high chance that a change can occur and…let's just say that not many people who break it survive."

I stared at my father for a few moments, and then stood up to clear my plate. "Yeah, as real as that sounds and all, I think I'm leaving now. Dinner was great" and with that I walked out of the dining hall as fast as I could. Everything he said sounded so fantastical and ridiculous, but there was a sinking feeling in my chest that confirmed all he had said was true. But that was _crazy._ How could one sliver of information bring the downfall of a person?

I locked myself in my room for the night and pretended to be asleep when my parent's knocked on my door. My heart began racing when I thought about what my dad had said, so I promptly decided to ignore it. When I knew my parent's had gone to bed, I made popcorn downstairs and settled in with a soda to watch some Netflix.

Half way through the sixth episode of How I Met Your Mother, I had mostly fallen asleep. The popcorn was mostly gone and the kernels rattled around in the bottom of the bowl. My soda still fizzed with tiny bubbles as it rested on the night table besides me. There was laughter coming from my computer screen that I was vaguely aware of in that state of half dreamer, half consciousness, and I could hear Robin screaming about something her coworker had done and I chuckled. Deciding to call it quits for the night, I rolled over and adjusted my pillow, quickly falling into a state of deep sleep.

I knew something was wrong right away. This dream wasn't like the others with the fire, and yet it was the same. It had the same feeling to it. A sense of urgency and fright, and I was scared. At first I wasn't even sure if I was dreaming. The air around me was dark as night, and I could only see dimly from an unknown source giving off light. I reached out with my hand and touched a rough object in front of me; it felt like brick. Running my fingers outwards I only felt more brick in all directions. Oh God, I was surrounded, no, _encased_ in a brick box. My heart rate kicked up and I heard my breath catch in my throat. Never before had I realized what being trapped would do to me and I felt panic rising like bile in my mouth. Claustrophobia threatened to close down, but I fought it off, trying to calm down and figure out what was going on. I was upright, so that means I had either fallen here or had this structure built around me, so I sided with the first.

When I looked up, I could have sworn I saw a head pull back and hide, so I called out, but no one replied. There was nothing on the ground except my bare feet, so I kept shouting to get attention.

Suddenly, the light increased to a blinding level and I threw my hands up to cover my eyes. I blinked a few times to adjust, but what was revealed by the light made me nearly scream out loud.

On the back of my hands were tattoos. Thick, swirling lines of blue and black that crisscrossed together. They spanned from the ends of my fingers in intricate designs and ran to my elbows, but the back of my hand was where a real shape was. Standing out among the seemingly pointless shapes were two eyes, and I got the notion that something sinister had marked me. I rubbed at them frantically, trying to make them go away but nothing helped. Once again the panic attack began to dawn on me, and I feared losing control of myself like I had in the past.

When I was younger, I used to get panic attacks for apparently no reason, and would black out for hours at a time, forgetting everything that I had done in that time. It scared me so much to not be able to recall what had happened, so I developed a method to fight them off, which I used now. I would close my eyes and count my breaths with a beat. _1, 2, 3, 4,_ I thought silently as I drew in a breath, and counted the same numbers once again when I exhaled. It seemed almost musical, and that is what I thought of to calm myself in stressful times.

In this dream, the effect still worked, and I felt relief pump through my veins as the terror ebbed slowly away.

This time when I called out for help, someone responded. When the person spoke, fright gripped me again so tightly that I couldn't even think what to say. This voice was foreign to my ears, and yet I felt as though it knew me from the past. If shadows could talk, this would be the sound they would make. I couldn't tell what pitch it was, for it seemed deep and high at the same time. It echoed off the walls around me, and I shivered as if it had physically touched me when it said, "It is time, Lauren O'Brien." I said nothing, and as if not wanting a response it continued. "Awake and join us, for now is the time."

I started beating the brick wall in front of me, desperate to get out. Screaming for someone to help, the light went out, and I blinked at the sudden darkness. When I looked down, I saw that my tattoos glowed an eerie bright white that lit the area around me. I knew that I needed to wake up, and I screamed even louder. Both of my fists ached from smashing against the bricks. Just as I was about to give up, the wall broke and I went tumbling forward, cast into darkness once again, and I screamed with a raw throat.

In the dream, it had looked as though nothing was in front of me when I fell. But in my room I had been launched forward and hit the carpet face first. I lay on the floor for a minute catching my breath and attempting to push the terrifying dream out of my mind. A thought occurred to me, and I scrambled to stand upright and turn on my lights. When I flipped the switch I looked down at my hands, relieved to see that no markings had been left from my night travels. The clock face read that it was 2 AM, and I knew I needed to get back to sleep, so I crawled into bed, bumping what must have been my laptop but was too tired to move it, and fell back asleep.

As it turns out, what I kicked in my sleep was _not_ my laptop. When my alarm clock beeped at me to get up for my second day of school, I heard a groaning to my left and glanced over, almost screaming when I saw Isaac awaking in my bed, _again._

I looked at him blinking away dreams as he woke up, and raised my eyebrows when he looked at me. His face turned bright red and then it was his turn to fall off my bed in shock. People really needed to stop doing that when they woke up in my room. I crawled to the other side of the bed anyhow and looked down at him.

"Isaac?" I asked, wondering why he had his face in his hands. He groaned, this time from embarrassment, and slowly pulled his hands away from his face.

"W-why am I here again?" he looked around my room as he spoke, taking in some of the things I had moved and unpacked since the last time he gave me a surprise visit. I found it weird that he didn't remember crawling up the side of my house two nights in a row, and I was oh so glad that my parents left for work before I even got up.

"Is this going to be a normal thing, or should I call the cops?" I joked and stood up. Truthfully, I found it extremely terrifying that this kid had broken into my house twice now. But playing it off with humor was a defense mechanism, so I figured getting him to calm down and explain a few things would be the best course of action.

He slowly emerged from behind my bed and stared at me with wide eyes. "First off, I am so, so sorry. I honestly have no idea why I'm even here," Isaac stated and raised his hands up in defense. "And secondly…" he trailed off as he said this, and saw him change his mind on what to say. "Would you mind giving me another ride to school?" And smiled at me to one side. If I said the Gods had picked out his cheekbones I would not be doing them justice, so I had no choice but to smile and say yes, I would love to drive this burglar to school. Again.

The drive there was much more normal. He even sang along softly to a song on the radio, and I laughed at his rendition of some pop singer. It felt _good_, and I really liked that.

When we approached the school, once again he asked to be dropped off about a block away. His phone had buzzed with the sound of a new message that reminded him. I smiled and waved when I pulled away and tried to look like it didn't bother me. It wasn't that I felt like I had some claim on him, but it felt so odd to leave him and just drive away.

Ok, I lied. I did feel a tiny bit jealous.

Allison waved and called me over when I got to class and she patted the seat to the left of her. On her right was a stuck up looking red head, and I felt my walls go up when she looked me over like a piece of meat. "Lauren, this is my best friend Lydia. Lydia, this is the girl I was telling you about." She emphasized the last few words and glared at Lydia, who smiled at her and stuck her hand out to me. "Lydia Martin, school genius and leader of the social elite." I was at a total loss for words and looked at Allison. Her cheeks were slightly pink and she was looking straight ahead, so I answered, "Lauren O'Brien, resident new girl. I was the leading AP scorer at my old school, so I hope you brought your guns for a showdown." The words flowed from my mouth, and were in no shape or form true. I had taken AP classes, sure, but was not the lead scorer. That had been my best friend, Meghan, the school genius. But I knew how to play these kids. The first few minutes within meeting them could make or break you, so I held my gaze and my chin up high. Finally, Lydia nodded and moved back into her seat, saying, "You were right, Allison. She does seem interesting." I smiled as Allison let out a puff of air, clearly worried whether or not her friend would approve.

Lydia was not kidding when she called herself the school prodigy. Every question the teacher asked she had already written down multiple answers for, and her syllabus had scribbles all over it telling when she had read the assigned books ahead of time. I was worried my statement from before would fall through, but neither of the girls said anything to me as we walked out of class.

Lydia swung open her locker and handed me a bottle of perfume. "Wha-" I began but was cut off by the red headed girl. "It's not that you smell or anything," she began, "but I figured you would want to see which one you should buy this weekend when we go shopping. This had a nice fruity scent, and would totally work for you. I can tell that you don't like flowers judging by how you stayed away from Christy last class." I stared at her as she continued to chat away about different colors and stores at the mall. Glancing at Allison, I could tell this was a regular thing because she was still shuffling through her locker and grabbing books for next period. After the five minute bell rang, we all departed and went to our classes, and I was off.

The rest of the day was a blur, but one moment of clarity that I remembered was that Isaac was missing from class, all day. I felt this annoyance towards him, but I knew it was covering up the worry that gnawed at my stomach. I shot him a quick text before I sat down for class and put my phone on silent to stop myself from constantly checking to see if he had replied.

The class dragged on, and the lecture was seemingly pointless, so I let my mind wander. Suddenly I remembered the dream from the previous night, and my grip on my pen tightened. Those damn tattoos were burned onto the back of my eyelids so that every time I blinked they flashed brightly. Making sure that I didn't need to take any notes, I began to draw. Art was something that I prided myself on, and I loved the way the ink colored the pages. Before me now were two patterns that had a corresponding center in the shape of, creepily enough, eyes. I stared at them for a few minutes, entranced by how intricate the design truly was. My mind raced to see if I had seen them previously, but I drew a blank on where I had created them from. I was so enveloped in this that I almost missed the bell signaling the end of the school day.

I glanced at my phone, and my heart leapt when I saw the little envelope telling me I had a new message. A few clicks later and I had it pulled up what Isaac had sent me. My brow pulled together in worry, and I looked around frantically trying to find him. _Dammit, _I thought, _he must still be inside._ Pushing back against the flow of students took a bit of effort, and I spent the whole time trying to find him. As I rounded a corner I heard his voice, and called out. "Scott! Scott, I need your help," I called while I ran up to him and another guy talking. "Sorry," I smiled at his friend and gently pulled Scott away, "this is really important. Read this," and I pushed my phone into his hands. He read it, and the same look I had came across his face; worry. "Lauren, I think we need to go." He grabbed my arm and we headed back towards the parking lot.

His eyes had a glint of panic that must have been reflected in mine when I read the message.

"_Lauren, I'm going to ask you and Scott to do something, and I'm so, so, sorry about it. I need you to bring only him to this address, because I'm probably about to do something stupid." _

An address was listed, and then the text ended with one other thing.

"_Tell Scott we may have another one. Tell him, Derek said this is it."_

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**Thank you so much for reading! Leave a review and let me know what you think :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Back with another chapter. Thank you for all the love and support, you have all blown me out of the water with how many of you are reading. Here's chapter six. Enjoy! :)**

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Over the next three days, all I could think about was what had happened in the woods. My brain felt as if it had been taken out of my head and prodded before being put back inside a skull that couldn't handle the change. My eyes burned from a lack of sleep, causing my muscles to be sluggish and slow, which especially hurt me in volleyball tryouts. This had gone as expected; horrible.

I was sitting in my car before school on Friday reliving it all. It felt as though my whole world had shifted, and I had been given no warning as to the events that would soon unravel before me.

For the entire car ride to the address Isaac had given me, Scott was a wreck. He kept mumbling something about 'too soon', and his hands twitched around in frustration. They ran through his hair, he wiped them on his pants, and he kept messing with the window rolling it up and down. "Scott," I said sternly, "if you roll the window up and down one more time, don't underestimate me. I _will_ child lock you." He laughed at the look I shot him that I had meant to be threatening.

He ran his hands down his jeans one more time before saying, "It's just…this is complicated. I'm not sure how much you know." I raised my eyebrows for him to continue, hoping he would begin to make sense. "There's something about Beacon Hills that makes it different from a lot of places. Things happen here…" he trailed off as he glanced out the window towards the woods for a moment. Currently, we were speeding down a back road that cut through the east side of town and was surrounded by thick woods with towering thirty food trees. Shadows cut across the road and the sun peeked through in small rays.

"How much I know?" I asked. "About what? I only met you guys _yesterday_, and have lived here for about two weeks, so honestly? I don't know much." This though occurred to me early, and voicing it now made everything seem odd. There was a secret in Beacon Hills, and I could feel it like a shadow at my back. The only question was whether or not I wanted to figure it out.

Back in Arizona, I had always felt this passion beneath my skin for an adventure. Like something out of the paperbacks that lined my walls, I wanted the story that would change my life. Every heroine I learned though I saw myself in, and there was this urge I had to prove myself to the world. Never once had I thought of myself as someone who could sit by and let an opportunity to show their true character slip by, and now was no exception. Although, to be honest, I didn't think that playing getaway driver counted as an adventure, I had more pictured something on horseback with pistols drawn and an unexpected confession of love to pull the main characters through their rough patch and on to save the day. Hey, a girl can dream.

Scott signaled where to pull off, and we entered a dirt road that was littered in holes, causing my car to jolt to the sides every few feet. Up ahead stood two figures, one I faintly recognized as Isaac, and another I couldn't identify. We parked, and as I exited the car my palms started to sweat nervously. I had just driven myself to a back wood spot with three people I didn't know. Obviously, thinking ahead was not on my schedule for the day.

Isaac smiled grimly at me when we walked up, and the other man shot me a look that somehow held enough venom to kill me, and was infuriatingly uninterested at the same time.

"I remember telling you to come alone," the man said, directing this at Scott. Scott looked to Isaac for help with a confused expression. "I thought that Lauren could help. Something's happened and I think she's involved." Isaac spoke up. I smiled at him, and his expression softened a bit.

"Derek, let's figure out what's going on," Scott said. He walked up a small hill towards a tree and ran his hand along a giant gash that ran about four feet long, and was six inches wide. "This is new…" he said quietly.

I moved to stand next to Isaac. "What's he doing?" I asked, watching Derek and Scott more curiously around the giant tree. Every few feet Derek would stop Scott and, from the looks of it, give him a stern talking to. As soon as they went out of sight Isaac answered. "So…Derek's uncle is an expert in…trees. And this one is dying, so Derek wanted all of us to meet here and…survey it so we could report back and tell him the condition." Isaac stared straight ahead as he said this, his cheeks flushing slightly from the lie.

_Are you freaking kidding me?_ I thought as I looked up at his face. The sun was starting to dip behind the tree line, and Isaac's eyes looked even bluer, causing my heart to flip flop over in my rib cage. _Whoa girl, get yourself together. _

There was something that didn't add up though, and I replayed what few words had been said since Scott and I had arrived to the sight. Isaac had said something about me being involved, that maybe I could help. Thinking that getting a better look at this silly tree would help, I started walking up the slope towards it with Isaac right behind me.

I felt it as soon as I reached the tree; a powerful urge to _touch_ it. My vision singled in only on the strange cut, and almost unthinkingly one of my hands reached out and danced along the edge of the gash. I felt a power there, and an abnormal buzzing filled my mind blocking out every other sound around me. I didn't hear Isaac's concerned cry ring out, or Scott's feet running around the side of the tree to observe what has happening. I didn't hear when Derek yelled for the two boys to get back, and I didn't hear the cry that passed my lips as I fell to the ground.

What I heard was that voice again, the one that haunted my dreams. But this time, I didn't just hear. I also saw. And what I saw scared me half to death.

I felt as if I woke up hours later, for it was now fully dark out. I felt frazzled, my head was throbbing in pain and my vision was blurry around the edges. A cold breeze swept through the clearing, and I shivered in only my t shirt and jeans.

Two figures moving fast caught my eye, and I looked to see two men walking briskly up the hill towards the same tree I had been standing in front of before. It dawned on me that Isaac, Scott, and Derek should be somewhere nearby, but after turning in circles a few times, I noticed that not only was I alone, but my car was missing as well.

One of the men on the hill started speaking, and I called out to see if he could help me. He didn't seem to hear me, so I ran up closer.

"Hey, excuse me but could I bor-"

I came up short when instead of tapping the man on the shoulder; my hand continued to fall and went straight through him as if he were made of air. I gasped and yanked my hand back towards my body, holding it close. Suddenly the temperature fell, and I was even more freezing than I had been a few moments ago.

"I tell you, Peter, this is the place I hid it," one of the men said as he scratched his head.

"Well, Liam, I find that hard to believe as it's not here now," the other replied.

Curious about what they were talking about, I followed them as they continued to walk around the perimeter of the tree.

The shorter man, Peter, pulled something out of his coat pocket and laid is against the tree, near the spot where the gash had been. Mysteriously it wasn't there in this dream, which made me question _when_ the scene before me had taken place.

Liam shouted something, and I was pulled out of my thoughts and glanced at what caused the commotion. On the tree was a dark splash of something, and I moved closer to hear what it was.

"Are you out of your mind, Peter? You can't just call them here; it's been centuries since the last one set foot this side of the Atlantic."

Peter smiled darkly, and paused from drawing something on the tree. "It's time, Liam, and we might need them in the coming years. Besides, it should take a while for them to realize a calling has been placed. Plenty of time to spruce the town up." He had an odd way of speaking, almost with enjoyment at whatever was causing Liam so much distress.

Liam shook his head and muttered, "Idiot," while turning to look the other way. "And I can't believe you called the pack, too. That isn't something you normally do."

_The pack?_ I thought. _What are these guys, gang members?_

The feeling of the dream shifted somehow, and I skimmed my eyes back towards Peter. It appeared as if his drawing was complete, and I froze at what I saw drawn on the tree before me. There, painted in what seemed to be blood, was the symbol I had sketched on my notebook earlier this week. The swirling lines encasing some sort of eye. It was a bit more intricate on the tree than mine had been, and I fell to my knees in front of it to get a better look. Peter had stood up and was brushing dirt off his knees, and Liam was still muttering curse words directed towards Peter. My hands shook as I lifted them to the shape, not sure whether I wanted to touch the tree or not.

Liam turned around saying, "Well, are you going to finish it or not?" and he pointed directly to where I was kneeling on the ground. Peter shook his head and closed the space between the tree and himself, drawing a knife across the palm of his hand. I scrambled out of the way at this, terrified at what I had stumbled upon.

"Me af̱tó to chéri ev̱logó̱ to édafos af̱tó to déntro megaló̱nei kathexí̱s. Kaló̱ tis armodióti̱tes to̱n palaió̱n na férei tous mánteis edó̱, kai na anoíxei to sýmfo̱no pou gia tóso kairó í̱tan kleistó. As perásei synkroúseo̱n kai ti̱s eníschysi̱s na eínai o kýrios stóchos. Écho̱ kalései ti̱n exousía. Écho̱ kalései ti̱n exousía. Écho̱ kalései ti̱n exousía."

The strange language felt harsh on my ears, but by the end of the speech Peter was yelling. His hands rose to the sky and I stumbled to get as far away from them as possible. I felt my heart pounding out of control in my chest, and my pulse had abruptly kicked up audibly in my ears. Something was stirring inside of me, and I knew it was from what Peter had said. None of it made sense, and my vision was staring to black out from the pain in my head. It now felt as if someone had taken a hammer and was beating against my skull in a rhythmic pattern.

Grabbing my head to keep the pain at bay, I looked up at the tree one last time. The symbol was glowing the same way that it did on my hands, and I knew the two were the same.

The ground began shaking violently, and Liam and Peter ran backwards away from the tree. The sky above had turned into a storm, and a bolt of lightning shone brilliantly through the clouds. It struck the tree causing a booming _crack_ to echo throughout the clearing.

When the tree was struck, the light filled everything. My vision was taken over by the white light, and my hands did nothing to block it out. I hoped this dream would end. I wanted nothing more than to blink and have everything go back to where it was, but something about the words Peter shouted made me feel that it never would.

It ended quickly, thank God. The light filled everything; my ears rang, my mouth tasted the harsh copper, and my eyes could see nothing. But the worst was the pain. _Oh, please God, just let it end. I can't take it, _I thought as I slowly sank back into an unconscious state.

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**Thanks for reading! Review to let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I don't think you guys understand how much I love you all. Seriously, this story has taken off so fast, and without all this support I might have given up. But no, ya'll make me write three chapters in one day and debate whether or not to post them all haha! So thank you, and here's chapter seven:)**

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My eyes flew open, but all I could see was the damn white light from the lightning. Panic flowed through my veins fast and hot, causing my heart to feel like it was about to beat out of my chest.

"Lauren! Lauren, you're alright. Derek, what's going on? What's happening?

"Isaac you need to calm down. Keep her head propped up so she can breathe, and keep her arms away so she doesn't hit you again."

Were they talking about me? I hit someone? I couldn't think straight while my adrenaline was pumping, so I focused on trying to blink and calm down. Steadying my breaths, I used my numbers. _In, 2, 3, 4, out 2, 3, 4. _Slowly, my vision dulled back to a normal spectrum, but everything was blurry shapes. I could make out a face above mine, and the forest in the background, but it was all still out of focus.

A hand grabbed mine, and I head Scott say, "Lauren, we need you to come back. Just relax, and you'll be fine." Listening to Scott was easy. His voice was steady and had an aura of command to it.

Finally, after several minutes, I could see. It was Isaac whose face was above mine, and he smiled weakly and whispered, "Hey." I tried to smile back, but I could tell it didn't reach my eyes. Sitting up very slowly, and with Isaac keeping me steady, I leaned forward and put my hands on my knees while sitting cross legged.

Derek stood a few feet away with his arms crossed and his feet planted, a menacing look on his face. Inside, I shuttered at the cold feeling I had received from him this whole time.

"So…" I started, figuring someone should break the ice, "what just happened?"

"Well, we were hoping you could tell us. I saw you touch the tree, and then you collapsed." I glanced back at Isaac, not sure I wanted to be facing Derek when I told them what I saw. Would they think I was crazy? I didn't want to lose the only friends I had made in my few first days here.

"I saw…something," I began. "Just hear my out before you rule the insane verdict though." Looking around, all three of them seemed to be fine with it, and hoping I wasn't making a huge mistake, I plunged head first into the strange vision I had witnessed.

I started with the fact that it felt like a dream. I was there, and I felt the cold, but couldn't touch anything but the tree. Certain details stuck out to me, like how it must have been the end of winter because the trees were starting to gain some life back into them. When I said the name Peter and described him, I saw a look pass between Scott and Derek. I wondered what it meant, but stored the thought away for later. My story continued on as I remembered more specifics, and the looks of concern grew on the three boy's faces. I had reached the part with the ritualistic chanting, when Derek interrupted.

"Hold on. You're saying Peter _called _someone here?" I nodded. "I didn't recognize the language, though."

Once I finished my story, Derek ran his hands through his hair, then whispered something to Scott and gave me a pointed look. After a few beats, he turned and walked into the woods, soon disappearing from sight.

Scott came over and kneeled by Isaac, the two of them helping me to stand. Unsteady feet met my attempt to right myself and I grabbed an unbroken portion of the tree for balance.

"Whoa, light headed," I commented. Isaac placed a hand on my back for support and I thought my knees were going to give out from the contact.

Pulling out my cell phone, I noticed that it was now 4:30. "I was out for almost an hour?" Bewildered thoughts raced through my brain, how could I not have felt that?

Isaac and Scott looked at each other. "For a while, you just lay there, and we thought you were unconscious. But your eyes moved and you kept saying something that we didn't understand. Then…when you woke up, um, your eyes…" Isaac trailed off, and a growing nervousness settled in. "What about my eyes?" I demanded, looking between Isaac and Scott.

Scott finally spoke up, and his words pierced me with fear. "Your eyes were completely white. It took nearly half an hour for color to come back."

A few hours later the three of us were eating burgers at a local joint. We let hunger win out as the most important thing to defeat, and I was not about to argue. I still felt creeped out about what happened to my eyes, but they were normal now and I didn't feel any different than I had before.

Chewing on my burger, I asked who Peter was. Many other questions floated around my mind, but I figured getting some out of the way now might help me piece together others on my own.

Scott cleared his throat and answered, "Derek's uncle."

My eyebrows rose in amusement, and I said, "Oh, the tree expert, right Isaac?"

Isaac nearly choked on his bite of food, blushing at the obvious lie he had fed me earlier. "Oh um, yeah. I guess that's him," he didn't look at me as he spoke.

"Ok then. So who's Derek?" as if response to my question, Scott sighed. "We gotta tell her." Isaac nearly jumped out of his chair saying, "What! No, not now," and he looked around nervously.

The two argued, and I stood up rolling my eyes, informing them I would be back in a second but unsure if they heard me or not. Walking up to the counter, I grabbed a few more ketchup packets and refilled my drink. Looking over to my table, Isaac looked extremely distressed, and my heart lurched in my chest. I didn't want to be the girl who just fell for an attractive face, but something about this strange boy _called_ to me, like fate had plans for us later.

Weaving through the plastic chairs back to mine, I caught the tail end of something Scott was saying. "- it seems like we have no choice this time. We can do it later this week, but something big is about to happen, she needs to know." They both looked up when my chair squeaked against the linoleum floor, breaking the moment that they were held in.

Scott smiled like nothing was wrong, but Isaac looked down at his food with a troubled expression. I didn't know what to say to meet the two in the middle, so I continued eating fries until we left. The three of us took my car back, and I dropped them off at the McCall house. Waving goodbye, I was on my way home.

I lived about twenty minutes or so away from Scott, so it gave me time to think. What the hell happened with that tree? I touched it and felt…a _memory_ of some sorts? How in the world was that possible? Maybe I was just hallucinating. But for an hour? And the thing with my eyes? Worried that the boys had lied, I looked at myself in the rear view mirror to check. But no change, just my mess of wavy hair and my summer tanned face staring back.

It must have happened when I was looking at myself in the mirror. I didn't see him leap in front of my car, or maybe he thought I was paying attention, but one way or another when I looked back at the road Isaac was standing in the middle with his hands thrown up. I slammed on the brakes and swerved to the left, but my right headlight still managed to clip his arm, throwing him back against the pavement. Luckily no one else was on the road, so I pulled off to the side to park. I flung myself out the door not bothering to shut it, and ran back to Isaac lying in the street.

"Isaac! Oh my God, no no no I'm so sorry please be ok," even I could hear the panic in my head, and horrible flashbacks started running through my mind. He was groaning, and moved to grab his right arm with his good one.

"Isaac please say something," I said softly. I wanted to know why the hell he thought running into the middle of the street was an acceptable way to get someone's attention.

He looked up, pain evident in the set of his eyes, but despite this he said, "I'm fine, don't worry about it." I felt my eyes turn to the size of plates. "I just hit you with my freaking car! Get in, we're going to the hospital."

"No!" he shouted, grabbing my arm in protest. I froze, staring down at him and wondering if he had smacked his head harder than I originally thought.

"I'm serious when I say I'll be fine, I just need a bit of time. I came to see if you were alright."

A few beats later, I finally spoke, "What." I had no idea what he was talking about; I had seen him nearly fifteen minutes earlier.

"I got this…feeling that I needed to find you and make sure you were ok," he said while not quite meeting my eyes. My heart flopped in my chest, but I tried to ignore it for the task at hand. "So you figured the best was to accomplish that was run into the road?"

Isaac looked around as in noticing for the first time where he was. His mouth formed a small 'oh', and he looked back at me. "Sorry," he apologized meekly.

"Why are you apologizing? C'mon, get in the car and we can talk, it's starting to rain," and as is no cue, a sot drizzle began to fall around us.

I watched Isaac stand, seeing for the first time how _tall_ he was. Up until now, I didn't have a chance to see the full statue of him. And I had to admit, I liked it. I liked it very much.

He hobbled to my car, refusing any help from me to get him there. Once we were both sitting inside I let the interrogation begin.

"Alright, so start with this feeling you were talking about earlier. Were you being serious? Or just another "oh he's an expert of tree's" thing going on?

He smiled at the fact that I called him on his bullshit right away, and then began to explain. "There's something I need Scott to tell you before I clarify a lot of this, but just know that I wasn't trying to be weird. I felt something that told me you were about to be in danger so I had to come help."

_My very own prince here to rescue me_, I thought, and then mentally kicked myself for digressing.

"Describe it," I said shortly, hoping that it would get the meaning across that I meant to know what was going on.

He sighed and pushed back his hair. "You know how some people can tell when a storm is about to strike? Like something in their bones?" I nodded for him to go on. "Well, ever since I met you, I have this, _sense_, when I'm around you. I can tell when you're happy or angry, or about to be attacked. I don't even know where it came from, but I think Derek's working on that."

"You mean the scary guy."

"Yeah…and he doesn't get better once you get to know him, sorry. I can say from experience that it stays the same," then he froze, as if he'd said too much.

"What do you mean Derek's working on it? And what does working mean?" My head swam with questions and I had a burning desire to know what the hell was happening to me.

Isaac only shook his head and told me I'd have to wait for Scott. Frustrated, I blew out a sigh and looked out my window. Sure, what Isaac was telling me scared me, but something felt _right_ about it, and I knew I didn't have to second guess things that would make anyone else run and scream.

Since Isaac wasn't making a fuss about his injuries, I figured he was ok. Something sparked in my brain though, and I remembered the cut he had when I found him in my kitchen.

"Isaac, how's that cut from before?" he looked at me, obviously needing more of an explanation, so I rolled my eyes and reached over, pulling up an inch of his shirt to reveal…

Nothing. There was no evidence of a cut on his hip, and I knew it was in the same spot as before. Goosebumps rose on my arms, and it unexpectedly became very cold in my car.

"Where…what happened?" my voice came out monotone, and I felt Isaac's eyes on me, but I couldn't meet his gaze.

"Ah…something else for Scott," he almost whispered, and the close proximity of our bodies registered in my mind as I could feel his breath gently cross my skin. I gradually let his shirt drop back down, but didn't move any farther away from him. The tension in the car could be cut by a knife, and I reluctantly told myself _no, you only met him a few days ago, don't rush anything._

With that thought lingering in my mind, I sat back up straight and put the car into drive. "Scott's house again?" I said overly cheery, trying to hide how much he affected me.

Isaac nodded, but continued to stare at me, and for some reason I couldn't remember how to drive. My heart beat was audible in my ears, and I'm sure my face was flushed pink.

Somehow, I started the car and began driving, wishing I could get my emotions in check.

A thought occurred to me then. "Wait," I said, not taking my eyes off the road, "you said I was in trouble? Does that still apply, or do you counteract it?"

Isaac's brow pulled together, and he opened his mouth to reply when a loud thump came from the back of the car. We swerved to the side, and I let out a small scream. Isaac's hand flew out and grabbed my thigh to steady himself, and he turned to see what had hit us. All I could think was seriously? This was already the weirdest day I've ever had, and now I hit another person. Or rather, they had hit me.

The grip on my leg tightened, and was now painful. "Ow, Isaac that hurts!" I yelled. Looking over at him, his eyes had grown wide, and he looked petrified. "Lauren, I need you to do only one thing right now." I nodded frantically at him, and he pointed to the road ahead. "Drive." And my foot shoved the gas pedal straight to the floor, causing the car to take off like a rocket.

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**Let me know what you think! More to come soon:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! So, I think I'm going to update on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to keep a schedule going and help me get things done. And sorry, I worked like 25 hours in the past two days and didn't have time to update. But, here's chapter 8! Thank you all so much!**

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As we floored the car down the road, Isaac reminded me to remain calm and not turn around. My hands tightened on the steering wheel and my knuckles turned white. He tried to slow my pulse by laying a hand on my shoulder, but I muttered, "Not helping," through clenched teeth, so he pulled back.

All I knew about the situation was that some_thing_ hit the back of my car, and Isaac had a weird feeling about it, so in order to escape (it was my only guess as to what was happening), we had to flee the scene. And fast.

I fed my car a bit more gas, worried that the thing was still there. We blew out of the Beacon Hill city limits, and I kept going. Normally I would have turned on my GPS, but Isaac waved my hand away when I started to click the button so he was relaying directions when I needed to turn by reading directions off my phone.

I swear it was a force of habit, but for just one second I glanced at the rearview mirror, a small voice in the back of my mind telling me Isaac had said not to.

And what I saw made me wish I could make my little car go faster.

Behind me was the biggest animal I had ever seen, with dark fur covering parts of its body and eyes that glowed a bright golden brown. When I looked at it, I could have sworn that it smirked at me maliciously, revealing a full set of razor sharp teeth. Meeting its gaze, I screamed so loud that Isaac jumped and I felt panic take over my bod.

"Oh my God what the hell is that?! Jesus fuc-"

But I was cut off as one of its hands, er, no, _paws_, struck out and hit the back of my car, causing me to swerve a bit.

"Lauren, you have to ignore it and just drive right now," Isaac said in a voice that was way too calm to be in this situation.

"Be _calm?_ Are you kidding me? There is some…_thing _chasing us and it's furry and _oh my God it has fangs!" _I screeched in reply. My voice had taken on a hysterical tone that I would have laughed at if I wasn't living through the situation. Normally, I could keep my cool in high stress situations. But apparently that didn't apply to being chased by some bear hybrid thing.

Five minutes later and we were still in hot pursuit. I noted that the sun was starting to go down, and Isaac seemed just as worried.

Isaac was muttering something under his breath, and I asked him what he was saying. Looking back, I more likely yelled "What?!" at him.

"C'mon, c'mon…" he kept saying, and was watching out the window closely for an unknown thing.

Suddenly, a form burst forth from the woods and collided with the animal trailing us. Isaac yelled at me to slow down, and I looked at him, yelling back, "Are you freaking crazy? No way in hell!" and pressed my foot down more to keep my car moving. Isaac, however, had other things on his agenda besides surviving, because the next thing I knew my car door was open and he was twenty feet behind my car rolling to a stop.

I slammed on my brakes, causing a squealing sound and an enormous cloud of dust to engulf my car. Pulling over to the side of the road, I jumped out and tried to see where Isaac had gone. Did he really think he could take on _two _of whatever the holy hell was back there?

With my heart racing, I stumbled out of the cloud and into a scene I didn't entirely comprehend. Before me were three shapes, much larger than humans, and yet eerily similar to the structure of man. One was a darker skinned…animal, who was breathing heavily, and shockingly enough laughing at a sentence I had missed. In front of him were two shapes, and my brain fought to rationalize how one looked exactly like Isaac. The other I didn't know, but he stood next to the almost-Isaac.

As if hearing my heart rate slow suddenly out of panic, one of the creatures swung its head over in my direction, and an unreadable expression passed over their face. I had no idea what I looked like at that moment, but I knew standing there is my black ballet flats, toothpick dark jeans, and a blue t – shirt I looked completely out of place.

A low growl brought me back to the present, and that's when I got mad. This surge of emotions surprised me, but I was too tired to do anything but go with it. I gazed around to see what I could do, and picked up a stick about the size of my forearm, not fully knowing what I intended to do with it.

"Hey!" I shouted to the trio, causing them all to look at me. Brandishing the stick as a sword, I slowly inched towards the group. My shoes skidded on the rough gravel and caused small plumes of dust to fly up. "Why don't you go back where you came from?"

The darker animal threw his head back and laughed. "Ooh, now this is interesting. A human with a good sense of humor, and a lot of guts." I gulped and hoped the reason why he was laughing was because he truly found me funny. His head cocked to the side, and he spoke again, "But you know, I don't think I will. I like this place too much." The other two figures crouched down and a deep growling was audible from the twenty or so feet away that I stood.

"Girlie, how long do you think it would take to decapitate your friends here?" he directed the question at me, although his eyes were trained on the other two creatures. It seemed like he was fighting a losing battle to me because of the odds, but he was a tad bit taller and broader built.

"You heard the lady speak," one of the pair spoke out, "and I think she told you to _leave._"

A jolt went through me as I realized that I knew the voice, and I was nearly positive it was Scott McCall, the nice boy I had met earlier.

For a few tense moments I didn't think he was going to leave, but something changed because he locked eyes with Scott and warned, "Don't think this is over. I've got her scent and I'll be back." I froze, and watched him turn and bolt into the woods, peculiarly enough running on all fours rather than two feet. My scent? What the f-

"Lauren!" Isaac called out, his tone colored with worry. He looked normal now, but I backed up instinctually, not wanting to be close to him at the moment. In my mind flashed an image of the two of us sitting in my car nearly an hour ago, looking at each other like nothing was outside that little metal box. But now? I had no idea what to think.

Isaac's brow pulled together in confusion, calling out to me again. "Lauren?" making my name sound more like a question. "S-stay away from me," I whispered, but he looked like he heard me standing ten feet away.

I pointed in the direction of the woods. "What the hell was _that_? Was he human?"I was slightly worried about the answer I would receive, because what I had just seen was definitely not human.

Scott jogged up behind Isaac but moved slowly. "Lauren, there's no need to panic. It's still us."

"No need?" I shrilled, "I just saw something that was…actually I don't know what that was, but you two…you were like it!"

Scott and Isaac glanced at each other, not denying that they were similar to the beast that sprinted into the forest. "And what did he mean he has my scent?"

"We can't hide this," Isaac blurted out, and I was surprised he took my side. "What?!" Scott answered, turning towards Isaac and looking directly at him. "You realize this breaks what we've ruled before."

Isaac's head turned to the side and he said, "Dude, I think it's pretty hard to deny what just happened. Plus, it sounds like we have something to warn Derek about."

_Derek?_ My mind raced. _That scary guy?_

Scott seemed to warm to the idea and suggested we best sit down. I looked around and saw only the dirt road and the forest to the right. There were some stumps on my left, but I was too wound up to sit for any length of time. He turned his head, and said, "There's a river about thirty feet that way. Why don't we head down there?"

Immediately I shook my head. If there was something that made me feel like I needed to bolt, I wanted to be by my car so I could run away screaming and drive off into the night. What a pleasant turn my life had taken.

So, after agreeing not to move, Scott and Isaac told me everything. And by everything, I mean whatever "Oh, we're werewolves - and Derek's our leader - and we run around saving Beacon Hills - but shh don't tell anyone - and there's these hunters who sometimes come out - but we won't tell you who they are - and we maybe have some other creatures that we don't all the way understand" speech covered. Which lasted over an hour, so it was nearly pitch black out when they finished.

At first, I was speechless. This was just the thing I had thought about when I dreamed up adventures from my novels. But on the other hand, every fiber of my being was screaming at me to haul my booty away from crazy town and drive until I couldn't see lights anymore.

I remembered a few hours ago when Isaac had told me he got weird feelings from me and I had just accepted it, like something in my heart knew he was telling the truth. The same thing happened when I looked at these boys, and damn my heart for being so trusting of strangers I had met days before.

Taking a deep breath, I exhaled and said, "Fine. Ok." Both of their heads shot up, and Scott spoke, "What? That's it? No screaming and saying we're crazy?" Isaac's eyes were bulging out of his head, and I figured this was not the normal response they got if they had to tell someone.

"Yeah. I mean, the stupidest thing would be to deny it, especially since I saw you both…in wolf form…earlier." I felt like an idiot calling them wolves, but they said it many times I hoped they didn't mind.

"Well…wow." Scott was mystified by this, and I let out a weak laugh. A very, very weak laugh.

"Now that's all said and done, I hate to ask you this, but do you think you could do us a favor?" Scott spoke up once more, and I nodded in response.

"Do you think you could give us a ride home?"

The entire ride back, my brain was silent. I figured it would have thoughts running at 200 mph back and forth, and be digesting new information that seemed impossible, but I found the silence a beautiful reprieve from the day's earlier events.

Pulling up to the McCall house for a second time, I waved once again when the two boys reached to porch light. Something in the air felt off, and I knew it was because of what I had just learned. When I got home, my heart sunk a little bit at finding I would be alone. My mom posted a note on the fridge saying they went out to dinner with some of Dad's work friends, and I knew that meant midnight.

Being the first week of school, I didn't have any homework to finish, so I justified that ice cream for dinner and a movie were perfectly fine. I changed into my comfy pajamas and put in _Pride and Prejudice_, ready to associate with someone else's life for a few hours. Besides, Lizzy and Mr. Darcy were just about my favorite couple ever, and I knew the movie by heart.

Half way through, I found myself thinking that I wished I could have lived in that era. With gowns and tea times and social walks through the park, the biggest scandal was if a woman met with a man who wasn't married without her chaperone. Tears welled in my eyes, but I kept blinking until they went away. Crying was not going to solve anything, I kept telling myself. But sometimes I wish it did.

My eyes burned with exhaustion, and I rubbed them with the heels of my hands to fight it off. Not once had I missed the ending to this movie, and I was not about to start now.

But the day's events had taken a toll on me, and I began to feel my eyes drooping shut. _Maybe sleeping on the couch won't be so bad…_I thought, rolling over onto my side. And I fell into a fitful, nightmare ridden sleep that I thrashed myself awake from, screaming.

Naturally.

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**Truth time; normally, I stop stories after about the sixth chapter because the feedback is like eh, I'd read if you update I guess. BUT YOU ARE ALL SO FLIPPING FABULOUS THAT I LITERALLY CANNOT WAIT TO KEEP WRITING THIS STORY. So thank you. I love hearing what you guys have to say. **

**I will update on Monday! :) **

**Review to let me know what you think. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's the chapter, just like a promised! Sorry, I had work early so I couldn't post it sooner. Let me know what you think!**

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When I dreamed that night, it wasn't anything like before. It was a normal, brain controlled dream that reflected something I was thinking about. Studies show that one was to cope with a pressing matter for the mind is to project it into sleep, and that's what I did. The most pressing thought in my head was apparently a six foot high figure with devastatingly blue eyes, high cheekbones, and had a laugh that was utterly contagious.

Isaac Lahey.

We were sitting in my car again, just chatting. A breeze danced through the open windows, causing his curls to move ever so slightly. I smiled at a comment he had made, and then a rather large gust swept through, making both of us laugh. He hesitated for a moment before reaching over to move a strand of hair that was stubbornly out of place. His hand rested on my cheek, and my breathing hitched as he leaned in closer.

"Lauren, I'm so glad I got to know you," he whispered, just a few inches from my face.

I smiled and replied, "Oh , me too. Beacon Hills is much better than I thought it would be."

His eyes darted down to my lips, and my heart raced in anticipation. The feel of his mouth on mine; soft lips that met in a heated passion. He closed the gap between us, and finally kissed me. My cheeks flushed when I let a small moan escape, but Isaac seemed too busy to notice me making a fool of myself.

My brain decided that I wasn't close enough by kissing him across the car, so I climbed over and straddled him in the passenger seat. His hands gripped my waist, and mine moved up his arms to entangle themselves into his hair. At first, things held a sweet, light feeling, but something kicked it up a notch and suddenly our teenage hormones take over. Isaac moves his hands to push up my skirt, the feel of his fingers on my thighs causing my breath to come in quick, rapid gasps. I tugged at the bottom of his shirt and slowly inched it off his body. I shouldn't have been surprised when I saw that he was nearly perfectly sculpted, but I still looked, and when he chuckled I looked up to meet his gaze.

Slowly, I brought my tongue up his neck, hearing him gasp my name when I met the soft spot below his jaw. His hands tightened on my waist, and jerked when my teeth dragged across his earlobe. Things were going fine. Better than fine, I was feeling _great_ until I pulled back to look at him again. Something had shifted, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Then I saw it. His eyes had turned golden brown, and they did not look happy.

"You know," he said coldly, his face starting to transform into how I had seen him when he was a werewolf. Panic rose within me and I tried to squirm away, but his claws punctured my sides and I screamed from the pain. He was drawing blood, it hurt like hell.

"Isaac, let go of me!" I screamed, trying to rip his hands out of my body. My heart was racing as he threw his head back, a deep laugh bursting past his lips, which now revealed impossibly sharp fangs that protruded from his mouth, and said something that caused me to scream enough that I woke myself up.

"Now that you know the secret, you cannot hope to live."

"Lauren, Lauren! Your parents are going to wake up, shhh," a calm, yet to some extent panicked voice, met me once I awoke from the dream. I had to blink to clear my vision, and I remembered that I had slept on the couch. Note to self, don't do it again.

I looked up and saw Isaac standing over me, causing the dream to rush at me again. Scooting back until I hit the edge of the sofa, I was filled with terror. "Stay away," I said. A look of hurt crossed his face, and it only barely registered through the dream-induced freight. For some reason I had lingering feelings that I couldn't shake, and I had to get some space.

"Lauren, I promise you'll be safe. I'm…me now," he tried once more. I shook my head and pointed to the other couch, and my face must have convinced him that something was wrong because he stood up and plopped down a few feet away. After a couple of seconds, I scooted forward and put my head between my knees, trying to flush away the strange sensations that prickled through my veins.

"Sorry Isaac…I had this crazy dream," I started. The beginning of the dream had been great. Up until this point, I had been trying to fight the attraction I had to Isaac. It seemed too complicated compared to the greater scheme of whatever was going on. He broke into my house, slept in my bed, took me to a café, and he was a werewolf. I had no idea how I felt towards what he was, but something about him drew me in. Underneath those killer looks was a heart of gold, and from the bit that I knew of him he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. And he kept turning up unannounced.

Which reminded me, "Hey, how did you get into my house? And what time is it?"

He glanced down at his watch. "Four am." Lovely.

I raised my eyebrows at him, hoping he would elaborate on my first question. He took a deep breath, then plunged into a speech. "So, I tried to stay awake tonight to see what was going on. I was running outside, waiting until the time Scott said I had left the first night. But the later it got, the harder it was to stay away from your house. Like…a force was pulling me in. Don't freak out…but I might have broken your door."

I stared at him for a beat, then jumped up and ran down the hall to the door. Isaac was close on my heels apologizing over and over, and when I finally reached it I laughed.

"What? Did I really break it?" his voice was so concerned, I couldn't even make a joke about it.

"No, you just have to turn it like this, silly," and when I did he breathed a sigh of relief. I laughed as he ran a hand over his face. Laughing, I shoved him back towards the kitchen.

"How does something to eat sound?" I asked, and his face lit up in reply, leading himself down the hall to where the food was.

A while later, we both decided that sleep was probably out of the picture for the day. School was in a few hours anyways, so Isaac hid in my closet when my parents, completely shocked, found me downstairs dressed and ready for the day.

When I opened the pantry for food, a jar of Nutella had called to me, and I pulled out a spoon to eat it while I continued my search for food.

Isaac scrunched his nose in disgust. "What it that?" He asked. I turned the jar around, saying, "This stuff is delicious, food of the Gods. If you haven't tried this yet, you haven't _lived._" Isaac laughed at me, then moved to find a spoon. "Here," I said and just handed him mine. He opened his mouth, and I giggled and scooped a spoonful for him. "Isaac the werewolf; can't feed himself."

Some of the Nutella got on his nose, and I gestured to him, but he didn't get it and turned his head to the side. I rolled my eyes and crossed the room until I was standing right in front of him.

"Got it," I said as I wiped the spread off the tip of his nose. He smiled down at me, saying, "Lauren the vision girl; always there to help her friend."

"Oh no, no no I am _not_ the vision girl!" I joked, moving to throw away the napkin. Isaac followed and leaned against the sink, crossing his arms over his chest. Of course his arms looked fantastic, and my mind flashed back to the dream I was having earlier. My cheeks flamed in response and I coughed to cover it up. _Get it together, girl. _

A knock at the door caused Isaac and I to snap to attention; his brows pulled together in confusion and he moved silently toward the sound. I looked at the clock, which read 6:45 am. Who would be stopping by then? Worry ran through my veins, and I grabbed a knife for protection in case I needed it.

Creeping towards the door, I heard Isaac call back, "It might just be Scott. I told him what happened…and he might stop by to make sure I'm here," but there was a feeling in my gut that said it wasn't Isaac's housemate.

Seeing the knife in my hand, Isaac rolled his eyes. I raised my eyebrows at him; this knife was pretty damn big. His hands spread out wide, and from the ends of his fingers, giant claws emerged. I rolled my eyes, and moved closer to the door. Pulling it open fast, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. No one was standing on the other side of the wooden barrier. But movement caught my eye, and I saw a strange and foreign object sitting on my doorstep. A stick doll hung by its neck was dangling from the railing, and a mass of hair was attached to its head.

A sick feeling rolled through my stomach. "Is that…_me?" _The small scraps of cloth matched what I had been wearing yesterday, an eerie resemblance to myself. Isaac moved to grab it, but as soon as he touched the doll it burst into flames. I grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back; worried the flames would hurt him. The ashes fell to the porch, and we watched as the last of the doll burned away.

There was no denying it; someone was trying to send me a message. But why couldn't they just write out a little note saying, _Hi Lauren, we noticed you had a weird experience today. Just to top it off, it looks like someone got some of your hair and made this lovely doll that looks like you. Oops! Ps, when you touch it, it burns up. Have a nice day!_

After a swept the mess off the porch, I sat down in the living room, putting as much effort in forgetting the creepy doll as I could. Isaac looked furious. "What the hell was that? Burning some doll on your porch? What does that do?"

"It was a message, Isaac. Someone it trying to tell me something, send me a warning," I said while rubbing my eyes, taking care not to touch my makeup though. All of these cryptic events were making my head throb, and I just wished for things to go back to normal. If normal was even an option at this point.

Isaac hesitated, and then moved to sit next to me on the couch. His hand rubbed small circles on my back, and my heart did little flip-flops inside my chest.

"We'll figure this out, Laruen. I promise," he reassured me. "But what if we don't?" I replied, distress evident in my voice. "What if I truly become the girl with crazy visions no one can figure out?" I sat up and looked him in the eye. "I never wanted to be different, I wanted to get by. Why is this happening to me?" my voice broke a bit on the last word, and Isaac's eyes held no answers.

Looking down at my hand, I said, "What if we never figure out-" but was cut off by a pair of lips pressing to mine. My eyes flew open in shock, and I saw that Isaac was extremely focused. His eyes were closed, and his brow was pulled forward as if thinking very hard. My eye lids fluttered closed, and I brought one hand up to grab his shirt.

If the dream was a warning for this moment, let me tell you. It didn't even come close to how great the real thing was. He was soft and gentle, his hands cupping my face. I was the one who acted like an animal, feeling my heart about to beat out of my chest. My hands roamed up his body, and hooked around his neck to support myself.

After a few moments, he pulled back, a smile plastered across his face in a goofy fashion. "What?" I whispered.

"Two things," he replied in the same hushed volume. "One; will you stop worrying now? I'm here to protect you if you need it. And two…there's a perk to having wolf senses."

"What's that?"

He blushed before smiling and saying, "I can hear your heartbeat."

For a moment, this seemed absurd. What would a heartbeat tell him? Then it hit me; every time I stood by him my heart rate accelerated, and I bet he knew how much I liked kissing him by how erratic it sounded earlier. "Oh!" I said, and laughed.

My phone alarm buzzed, and I checked the time. "As much as I would love to continue this, and trust me I would, I think we better leave for school."

Isaac pouted at me, and leaned back on my sofa. "Are you gonna make me?" He joked.

Preparing to bolt after I said it, I clapped my hands on my legs and said, "Bad dog. Let's go for a ride in the car!" and sprinted down the hall, causing Isaac to jump up and yell, "You little-, I'm coming for you!"

Nothing like poking a dog joke in here and there. I had just kissed a werewolf, after all.

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**I know, I know. A bit of fluff and not much story :) But hey! I figured Lauren needed a break. Next chapter will be a better mix, I swear. I'm not as happy with this development as I could be. But it's cute, and starts a new path that leads to many plot developments, so stay tuned, folks!**

**Did I tell you I love you all yet? No? Well there you go. THANK YOU & LOVE YOU ALL. **

**Let me know what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

***Runs into office, slams down stack of papers onto desk, smiles triumphantly* **

**IT'S STILL WEDNESDAY.**

**I'm so sorry I'm almost late! I had work (ugh) and then family dinner (ugh), but I wrote a ton extra to make up for it. **

**This is it, you guys. The big reveal. It only took me ten freaking chapters, but I am so SO excited to see what you think! There is so much more to learn though, so don't think I'm even close to being done :)**

**READ, LOVELIES**

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On the drive to school, I couldn't stop glancing over at Isaac. He was reading something for school, trying to get some last minute studying in, and I thought he didn't notice.

"Lauren, if you keep taking your eyes off the road we are going to crash," he said without looking up from his book. I scoffed at him, attempting to show I had no idea what he was talking about. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him point to his ear, and at first I was confused. But then it clicked; my heart rate accelerated when I saw him. _Jesus,_ I thought as I rolled my eyes.

I pulled into the parking lot, and half expected Isaac to tell me to drop him off around the block again, but when I asked his brows pulled together in confusion. "And make you walk by yourself? Nah, I'll stick with you." My stomach had butterflies, but I tried to ignore them as we walked up to the school.

For the first time since I had arrived in Beacon Hills, I didn't feel the ominous, lingering feeling that something bad was about to happen. School was normal, and I got a chance to catch up with Allison in English. We giggled like little girls when she finally wormed the fact that I had kissed Isaac out of me, and she drew a heart on my paper before I had a chance to snatch it away from her. Allison's behavior must have been different than usual because Lydia kept shooting her looks.

"Lauren." My name wasn't so much of a question, but more of a beckoning. Lydia walked up to me after class and looped her arm through mine. "I wanted to make sure you knew we were going shopping on Saturday, sound good to you?"

The thought of some good old fashioned retail therapy boosted my spirits, and I quickly agreed. Just before I reached my locker however, Lydia spun me so we were face to face.

"And just to clarify something for you real quick," her eyes took a darker tone and she looked almost menacing. "Allison is my best friend, has been for two years, and some girl from nowhere Arizona is going to swoop in and change that."

I stood there, mouth gaping, as she continued. "But, that said, I do want to be friends. So, how about the three of us drive to the outlet malls and spend some girl time together?" Lydia turned her 100 watt smile on me, then turned and clicked down the hall in her three inch shoes.

The statement she had thrown at me would have been insulting if I didn't put myself in her place; knowing that she only wanted to keep her friends close, I took none of it to heart. Shrugging off the strange incident, I shut my locker and left for my last class of the day.

"And today after 3 pm will be the girls' volleyball tryouts…" A voice droned on through the small TV at the front of the classroom with the weekly school news.

My interest suddenly peaked. I had played volleyball at my old school, and it would be great to continue the sport. I wrote down the tryout info and a feeling of excitement ran through me.

Math was about as fun as math could me. I considered myself more of a history buff, so I hoped Isaac was paying attention on the other side of the room so he could help me later. I gazed out the window and day dreamed about the sound of the solid 'slap' that could only be achieved from the power of a hand hitting a volleyball for a perfect spike.

The smell of smoke caught me off guard, and I jerked to attention. A warning sense buzzed deep in my bones, and I looked around to see if anyone else could smell it. But, to my shock, every person in the room had disappeared. Not gotten up and walked away, but poof-you're-not-there-anymore gone. I tried to stand up, but by some unknown force I was trapped to my desk. "Help!" I screamed as the room was quickly filling with thick, dark smoke. There were footsteps coming from across the room, but I was unable to see who was causing them.

They were tantalizingly slow, one short clip, then another. "Is there someone there?" I called out. I could barely think, the buzzing sounds from before had filled my head.

_Come to us_, a voice called out. But not vocally, someone had just talked into my mind.

_Let us claim you; it is time_, it continued. Frantically, I shook the desk trying to get loose, but ties had woven themselves over my hands, and I was truly stuck. "Get away from me!" I screamed.

_This is not something you can escape, young one. I wish fate had not chosen this path, but now it is up to you to initiate it. Grow into the strength you know you possess._

"This isn't real!" I shouted out loud as soon as I thought it. Of course! This was one of those stupid _visions_ I was having. Closing my eyes, I focused on what I knew was real. I was in math class, and people were all around me. The buzzing died down, and I heard a voice, a real voice, ask the teacher a question. The feel of my pencil in my hand came back to me, and the voice spoke one last time.

_If not now, later. I will be back_. There was a note of sympathy and sorrow in the voice, but I barely had time to register it before I opened my eyes and everything was normal again. My heart was beating erratically in my chest, and I took deep breaths to calm down.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I checked it under my desk.

Isaac: Are you ok?

I looked up at him, confusion written all over my face. How had he known anything was wrong? He pointed to his ears, then his heart, and I remembered him mentioning he could hear my heartbeat. At the moment, it was still beating like a bird desperate for escape, so no wonder he thought I was having an attack.

Lauren: Fine…we should talk after school though.

I thought about this for a moment, and then sent another message.

Lauren: After volleyball tryouts.

Isaac smiled when he read the last message, and sent me back a smiley face text.

This was a conversation I was so not looking forward to.

"Mine, mine mine!" I yelled as I ran up to bump the ball coming my way. Too late, I saw that I would miss it if I stayed standing, so I jumped to the floor and felt the ball bounce off my hand.

"Nice save! But next time try to run faster," the couch yelled across the court. We had been at try outs for the last two hours, and I was exhausted. My hair was plastered to my face with sweat, and I was so glad I told Isaac to meet me later. I looked like I had just run a marathon.

All the girls trying out were fantastic; my three years of experience looked like nothing to them. But I still wanted to play, so I went for it. Even with the reputation of California sports stars being tall, tan, and super skinny, I hoped my above average height would allow me for some wiggle room. I knew that I wasn't in perfect shape; hell, I didn't know a lot of people who were. I wasn't in the best shape, but not by any means more than a few pounds over my goal.

We took turns serving over the net, and my stomach contracted with nerves. I had always played setter, the front position that hit over the net, not a powerhouse server. It felt like everyone's eyes were on me as I tossed the ball in the air and hit it. Nearly clearing the net, I watched as it hit halfway down. I huffed to the back of the line, and saw the next girl spike a perfect serve over, impressing the coach to no end.

By the end of tryouts, I figured there was no way I was making the team, and that really brought my spirits down. It would have been nice to have an outlet to relax at every once in a while.

The coach called us together to let us know how the trial process worked. Two rounds, one today, and the other tomorrow for those called back. We trudged out of the locker rooms to find a heavy rain falling, and I rolled my eyes as I walked to my car while some other girls shrieked and sprinted.

"But hold me fast, hold me fast cause I'm a hopeless wanderer," I sang on the way home. Out of tune, I might add, but I loved to sing to the radio, so I turned it up to drown myself out.

My phone buzzed while I was driving, so when I hit a red light I checked to see who it was. Isaac's name flashed on the screen, and I eagerly read what it said.

Isaac: I have to do some grocery shopping for Mrs. McCall, meet after?

The thought of Isaac lost in a grocery store struck me so funny I almost started crying, but I replied to say that would be fine and drove the rest of the way home.

I arrived home and ran to take a shower so I wouldn't look like a monster when I met up with Isaac. These visions had happened so frequently since I came to Beacon Hills that I almost considered them normal, which when I though it I froze a slight bit with terror.

Since when had this freak show become my life?

I threw on my skinny jeans, a teal collared button up tank, and a jean vest. Stepping into my black flats, I called Isaac to see where we could meet.

"Hey!" Isaac answered energetically. "New plan, you're meeting the family."

I was beyond confused when I asked, "Your family? But Isaac, I thought –"

"No," he said with a curt laugh. "A different one. You remember Derek?"

"Unfortunately…"

"Well get ready for a reunion, because now you can meet his uncle."

I muttered to myself as I was leaving about how lucky this way, and I heard Isaac laugh on the other line. "I promise they're not…well ok they're bad. Just hurry, I'm the only one here." He gave me the address, and I told him I'd be there in twenty.

_The only thing that could make this better would be another vision_, I thought as I rolled out of the driveway.

The Hale house was about as different from what I had expected as it could be. Well, I guess it was a loft, but still.

"I was half expecting some decrepit mansion in the middle of the woods," I muttered to Isaac as we walked up to the door. He laughed, shaking his head and placing his arm around my shoulders to guide me into the door.

When we walked in, all conversation stopped. Derek was standing behind a table in front of a wall of windows, and sitting on the couch were some people I knew, and a few I didn't. Scott waved at me, and the brown haired boy next to him I vaguely recognized, and we looked at each other for a moment before it clicked. He was the kid I had taken Scott away from when we went to go see Isaac and Derek.

"Hi, I'm Stiles," he jumped up and said with his hand outstretched. I shook it, feeling strangely formal, but laughed when he pumped his up and down, shaking my arm like a noodle. I smiled back at him, responding with "Lauren."

Then a figure that seemed to step out of the shadows emerged and moved to stand by Derek. His arms were crossed, and he was dressed in all black. Something inside of me told me there power radiating off of him, more so than anyone else in the room. It was odd, he didn't appear to be the leader, in fact it seemed like he might be the least popular member in the room. Stiles flinched when he saw him emerge and said, "Aw jeez, do you have to creep around in the dark all the time? You seem like a bat."

The man tilted his head and his voice dripped with sarcasm when he replied, "Funny, Stilinski. But now isn't the best for your half attempts at humor." He turned towards me and spoke, "Well, isn't this cute. Isaac finally finds a girl, and it seems that she may be the one he can't have."

Ice filled my veins, and I felt Isaac step closer behind me. "Excuse me? Who are you?" I asked, not entirely as polite as my mother would have liked.

"Oh, I'm Derek's uncle. Peter Hale" He said with a smile.

Stiles piped up and added, "He used to be dead, by the way."

I felt my face go blank, but as I surveyed the room I could tell he was telling the truth.

"Werewolf thing?" I asked.

"Ah good, so we don't need to fill you in on that then," Peter said, crossing the room to stand in front of Isaac and I. For a few moments, all he did was observe. His eyes traveled over my face, and for a moment they cut over to Isaac. It seemed like he was evaluating something, trying to crack a code of some sorts.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Come with me, you two." I turned to look at Isaac, but there was no hesitation. He led, and I followed. Scott and Stiles were deep in conversation, but Derek noticed something was happening and moved to follow us as well. Not that I was frightened of Derek or anything, but when I slipped my hand into Isaac's I felt a bit stronger.

We walked into a kitchen with big, open counters made of marble. Peter got to work right away mixing different things into a cup, while the three of us stood in silence. I squeezed Isaac's hand for reassurance, and he smiled down at me. There was a comfort in his presence, and I took in all the courage I could. Derek stood off to the side, looking sullen, and glaring at Isaac. Something must have happened between them to cause such a palpable tension to ring throughout the air.

When Peter was done with the drinks, he offered them to the three of us, and I took note he wasn't drinking one. I found it strange, so I brought the glass to my lips, but made sure not one drop passed them. Isaac, on the other hand, gulped his down in about ten seconds, and then placed the glass on the counter. Derek held his, evaluating its contents through the cup. It was a murky white color, the light playing through the swirling concoction like beams in clouds.

Scott and Stiles were standing by the door when our group walked back into the living area.

"Well, as terrible as it is hanging out here, we're gonna go, so hope to see you later Lauren. You seem cool." Stiles nodded as he walked out, and I waved good bye. Derek rolled his eyes, and Scott nodded to us before following his friend out.

"Why, Lauren, are you going to offend your host and not drink? You know in ancient Greece, it was considered bad luck to refuse them." Peter spoke up, seeing my full glass. With all eyes on me, I slowly lifted the glass up, feeling forced to consume the liquid.

This all felt weird; who cared if I drank some mix? But not seeing a way out, I began to drink. Actually, it was delicious; minty, with a hint of cherry. After a few minutes, I found I was looking at the bottom of my glass.

Then we were sitting on the couches. I didn't remember this happening, but I was next to Isaac and Peter was saying something. My ears felt like they were filled with wax, and my vision became blurry. I moved my hand to grab Isaac for help but found I had no control of my body. My heart started to race, and all three of them looked towards me.

If I had to guess, Derek saw it first. He stood up and yelled at Peter, saying he couldn't do this to people in his house. Isaac grabbed both of my shoulders and shook them, telling me to stay calm; that it would be over soon. What would be over? Did he plan this?

Peter smirked, and made a motion for Isaac to lay me down on the couches. My eyes were wide open in terror, but Peter walked over and drew them closed with a gentle motion of his hand.

Suddenly everything burst into clarity; I could hear everything that was happening, but was still blind.

Peter's voice came into range first. "I'm sorry Derek, but you know this is the only way. I need to tell all of you what I found, and if she's conscious, it will trigger the rest and she'll never make it to sundown."

What the bloody _hell_ was he talking about?

I swear I heard Isaac run his hand through his hair, speaking up, "Alright, but make it quick. I don't like leaving her like this."

Peter scoffed. "If you think this doesn't involve you, too, then you are sorely mistaken."

A deep breath, then he continued. "This is something we haven't seen in hundreds of years, and especially since she was so well concealed, no one had any idea. If they had, her life would have turned out much, much differently.

A long time ago, when the Ancient Greeks still ruled the world, there were stories. Stories of those with the powers of the Gods. Yes, the Greek Gods are who I'm talking about, Derek. Remind you, this is just myth, but it explains a lot. When the werewolves were first united with the Druids, a group of Greeks followed Lycaon and his pack, hoping they would be of some use. One of the followers was the great Seer Anius, who was raised by Apollo himself. Most of Apollo's Seers helped sway the tides in great wars, like Troy. His prophets brought good fortune and truth, which was an important thing in a time where people sat on mountains and reigned over man.

Now Anius had many children, but the only one who was also gifted with sight was his daughter, Lavinia. She was a free spirit, and was a prophet of healing, but beyond that not much is known. One thing that it true, though, is she was closely tied with Lycaons pack. She met a man who she loved fiercely, and the two had plans to be married the next time he was human. This was highly looked down upon, and Anius had a reputation to uphold. The pack saw nothing wrong, but her father could not look past this. He found out of their secret plan to wed, and was convinced it was the wolf's idea.

On the night of the full moon, Anius snuck into the man's tent. With the stealth acquired from celestial help, he murdered the werewolf. Lavinia was heartbroken; this man had been her whole world. The next day, she made an oath to the God's that would never be forgotten. She sought an idea to further the greater good, and it was something that would greatly shame her father. The only way Lavinia knew how to hurt her father was to take the thing he valued most, just as he had done to her. So, she murdered his pride.

Calling upon the Fates, Lavinia asked to set the future. Three things were requested of the girl. One, she asked that if the werewolf line continued, to never let them be alone. Her gift of Seeing was so powerful, she asked for everyone in her bloodline to be blessed as well. The second thing she asked for was for the Seer to have a guardian, a protector, someone who could ensure the life of their Seer and cherish it. And thirdly, she asked that her father become a werewolf, so that he could learn mercy and see the ways of the world.

The God's answered her, and for hundreds of years, Seers and their Protectors have lived together in the pack. About fifty years ago, however, the bloodline stopped, and no one could trace who the next Seer would be. Most had stayed in Europe and not traveled much, so I guess that's why it took so long. But essentially, that's it."

There was a pause as everyone took in what Peter had just told us. Confusion still swam in my brain, but Isaac voiced my question.

"But, Peter, what does that have to do with Lauren?"

"Oh, I figured that would have been obvious. Isaac, meet Lauren. Lauren, sorry for the condition but believe me it's for your own good, meet Isaac. The two of you have been, _chosen_, if you will, to be the next Seer and Protector of this little pack."

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**GO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK BECAUSE I'M DYING TO KNOW :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Hey! So a lot of people asked about the backstory I wrote, and I figured I would let everyone know how I came up with it.

Greek mythology has always fascinated me, and I wanted to incorporate it into Teen Wolf and see how things worked out. Apollo is my absolute favorite, so I used him. The story about his prophets is true; many people in Ancient Greece who had prophetic powers were Seers of Apollo, and whether or not it's true they could see things, it's a huge part of the history. When Peter (in the TV show) talked about the Lycaon theory of how werewolves were created, it hit me; what if one could somehow be linked to a Seer? So I set out to do some research. At first I was going to make Lauren a Soothsayer, but after finding out more about them I decided no. They do a lot of animal sacrifices to harness power and that wasn't ok with me, so I looked more into prophets. As it turns out, Anius was a real person. He was not only a priest of Apollo, but the son of him as well. He had four daughters and three sons, only one of which was touched with prophetic abilities: Lavinia. The other three girls were given the gift to change whatever they wanted into wheat, oil, or wine by Dionysus. Lavinia was later married to a son of Aeneas and named her son Anius after her father.

What I added was the part with the wolves. Now, Apollo was closely tied with them, as his mother is thought to be Leto, who is identified with the wolf. The Druids and The Greeks, to my knowledge, had no crossing in the matter, but I thought, wouldn't it be cool to tie these two legends together because _it sounded so plausible_. I feel like it was set up to be written. I knew from the beginning that Isaac would be her protector, and we'll delve into that story line a lot more later.

Also, I totally made up the part with Anius murdering Lavinia's werewolf protector. I'm sure he was a very nice guy and would not do something like that. BUT IT ADDS SO MUCH TO THE STORY AHH.

**Side note: I'm so sorry this is late, you guys. I had planned on updating on Friday, but as we all know, life happened. So I think I'm going to change to Mondays and Thursdays, or at least twice a week for updates. I'm ABSOLUTELY LOVING this story, so don't worry that I'll abandon you. I'm here for the long haul!**

**If you have any more questions about the myth, let me know! I love that you guys were curious and as excited as I was. It was pretty freaking sweet.**

**So! Here is chapter 11, lovelies!**

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I lay still on the couch, my heart racing away. I was a _what? _A_ Seer?_ Is this what my father wanted me to stay away from? The questions continued in my head, and I wanted to be able to voice them.

Unsure of how long Peter's drink would contain me, I focused all my energy on moving my finger, an eyelid, _anything_ to signal I was ready to confront my fate.

A thick silence settled onto the group, and I could almost hear Isaac running his hands through his hair in frustration. Derek muttered something I was unable to hear, and Peter responded. "She'll be fine once she wakes up, but I've never dealt with anything like this. A trigger that strong can change a person, so Isaac…just be ready."

Isaac spoke up, "I'll be fine, just wake her up Peter."

I heard the sounds of Peter standing and crossing the room to my body, and a warm liquid fell in small drops on my face. My eyes flew open, and I sat up too fast, causing a head rush to put dot over my vision. Blinking them away, I looked over at Isaac. _My protector,_ I thought. He didn't look too happy about the news, and my stomach fell to my knees. Maybe he didn't want to be my guardian after all…

But we both looked over to Peter when he cleared his throat, clearly wanting attention. "Ok kids, so we have a dilemma on our hands. As much as I want you to let your hormones be free to run on their own," my face flushed a bright pink, and couldn't look at Isaac, who I was certain was trying hard not to smile, "we need you to see straight. So many things hand in the balance right now. Lauren, you need to watch out."

I was taken back a bit, but replied, "Isn't that why I have my protector?"

Peter shook his head. "No, this is something he won't be able to see coming. This is something that relies entirely on you…it's the trials."

"What are the trials?" I asked.

"Well, the thing about being a Seer is you need to earn it. Lavinia left behind a powerful gift, and not just anyone can go about and claim it. In order for the power to not overwhelm and, ah, kill you, you have to pass a few tests. Nothing too bad."

"I might _what_?!" I yelled back at him, thoughts burning through my mind like wildfire. There was a nagging feeling, like something should be registering in my brain when all f the sudden it clicked. "You," I spat venomously at Peter. His eyebrows shot up, and he sat up a bit straighter. "You were in my vision. You cut the tree, you called me here!"

I was standing now, my hands shaking by my sides with rage. I had no idea I was this upset about being taken from my home and moved to Beacon Hills, but now that I knew it was against I will I was livid.

Peter started to speak but I cut him off. "You have no right to just change someone's life without them knowing, and shoving some powers on them. Did you seriously think I wouldn't have found out it was you? I saw you chanting!"

As if nothing had happened at all, Peter crossed his legs and sighed. "Of course it was me. When I found out that the bloodline of the great Seer Lavinia was still alive, you think I would let an opportunity like that pass? Of course, I had hoped I would be the protector, but no matter, Isaac will do. I don't think you understand what I'm offering you here. And don't flatter yourself by thinking you are the first person I've changed over the years for the better."

"Who." I stated simply. "Who's lives did you ruin with this kind of curse?"

"Lauren, I think it's time to go," Isaac said, standing and grabbing my arm. He pulled me in the direction of the door, and I turned to say one last thing to Peter before we left. "I don't know if this Seer thing is good or bad yet, but don't expect any thanks from me. Once I figure out what is going on I'll see you, because you know more than I do about myself, and that's not right." I turned to walk out the door, and just as I crossed the threshold Peter replied.

"Isaac, keep a close eye on her. Now that she knows what she is, they'll be coming any day to start the trials."

Ice filled my veins, but I kept my head held high as I walked out the door.

Isaac ran ahead to open the passenger side door for me, but I ignored him and yanked open the driver's side. There was no way I was sitting on the sidelines of my life again. Things needed to be in my hands now.

I tore down the driveway, shaking with anger. Even though I knew Peter had affected things second hand, I still felt fury pumping through my veins at nothing in particular.

For the first few minutes of the car ride, it was silence. Unspoken questions hung in the air around us, and filled the car with tension. "Did you know any of this?" I asked Isaac, almost afraid to hear the answer.

His face looked alarmed, and he turned on me to answer. "Of course not! You think I knew why I kept waking up in your bed and didn't tell you? Lauren, this is just as big a shock to you as it is to me. But," he added in a quieter voice, "I think we'll be ok. I just have to keep you safe from these trials and it'll all be good."

"Isaac, I think I need to go to the trials. Actually, it sounded like I don't have much say in the matter from what Peter said. But maybe they won't be that bad." I added, with much more enthusiasm than I actually felt. "Right now though, what I really need to do is talk to my father." I looked over at him and smiled, "See you tonight?"

An hour later I was finally ready to face my parents. I waited for them to come home from work, a speech I had practiced and rehearsed playing in my mind over and over again. I sat on the couch, fingers tapping a mismatched rhythm from the nerves I felt.

All my life my family had been close. For many years, much of my extended family lived only a town or two away from us. But over the years we had spread out. A thought occurred to me, and I wondered if any others had been claimed as Seers, and were taken to their wolf pack.

The door opened, and I snapped to attention. I couldn't stand sitting anymore, so I rose to meet them in the hallway. My parents were laughing at some joke my dad had told, and my mom had her hand over her eyes. I think my father noticed me first, because I saw the joy drain out of his eyes before my mother stopped smiling. His face dropped, and his feet stopped in his tracks. Our eyes never lost contact as his briefcase slid off his shoulder, and crashed on the hard wood floor. His shoes clapped on the surface and he swept me into his arms, placing his chin on my head.

Surprisingly I didn't cry, but looking back I should have. I should have been terrified beyond all belief, but I was just angry and confused. My mother was still standing in the doorway with her hand covering her mouth, so I guessed she must have known about my secret bloodline the whole time.

In the end, I didn't blame them for not telling me. I knew they just wanted what was best for their only daughter, and if ignorance had kept my safe for nearly eighteen years, it seemed to be the best course of action. But now that I was in the light, I wanted to be filled in on everything.

We sat in the living room, on the couches like I had planned. But before I got a chance to give my speech my father began talking.

"Lauren." My name seemed to be hard for him to say, because he choked over it a few times and had to start again. "Lauren, I'm so, so sorry. I don't know how you found out, but know that we only did what we thought was best. You not knowing about your heritage kept you safe, and please know we would have told you if we thought it meant you would survive."

The words hung in the air; might survive? "Wait, what are you saying?"

My mother spoke up, her voice and eyes soft. "Darling, when we realized the full burden we put on you by having a daughter, we knew we wouldn't be the only ones who found out what you were. Others came to inform us, but we turned them away, telling them you were too young, that your mind couldn't handle that information at such a young age. No one could. But now, you have a choice to make." He took a shaky breath and looked over at my mother.

"Mom?" I said softly, hoping that this wouldn't turn out as bad as it seemed.

"Yu have to make a choice," my mom spoke, continuing on for my father. "If you want this life, you have to go through the trials. They won't be easy, but no one in three generations of our family has taken them. Apparently, our evasive maneuvers no longer work.

The trials will be to test how powerful you are as a Seer. There are three levels you can be, but it is rare that someone is a third tier Seer. Most of us are first or second, and that is perfectly normal. Do you know who your wolf protector is?"

I nodded, and images of Isaac rushed into my mind. His smile, and how blue his eyes were. And how strong he was. I was lucky to have him as my guardian.

My mom smile, and continued on. "He is in for a surprise; no one has claimed the power of our family for all these years, so people will be out to hurt you. But you're brave; I have never doubted that about you."

It was funny; I had always thought that about my mother, not myself. She pulled through everything. When we lost my grandmother, her mom, I thought she would become recluse, hiding and shuffling around all day. But instead of being clouded by grief and sorrow, she let it inspire her to see the best reasons to live life. My mom, whose name is Karen, quit her job as a supermarket manager, which she hated, and went to get her real estate license to follow what she really wanted to do. I admire her so much for this, because I know she didn't do it for anyone but herself. It put a strain on the family money wise, but no one complained. Her job no longer wore on her, and she said she felt younger than she had in years.

But it didn't fool anyone that her pain about her mother had passed. The thing about grief is, it feels like a giant bruise. At first you can poke it and it doesn't seem real; the coloring has yet to set it. But give it a few days and the ache is rapidly appears. It tints everything you see, but pain is a bruise that can't heal all the way. And the more you think about it, the more present it is.

So to hear my mother, one of my idols, say I was strong, filled me with a hidden strength. I smiled up at her, and said, "Don't worry, I'm not scared. If it runs in the family, how bad can it be?"

My father laughed, and he rubbed his eyes. "Robert, why don't you get some tea for us?" My mother asked. I felt the pressure lift from the room, and knew we would get through this. I had a solid family to fall back on, a werewolf protector, and friends that I was on a track to becoming close with. With the world in my hands, I felt like anything could happen.

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**I'll have another chapter this week :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Swiggity swapter, I posted a chapter!**

**Holy shit don't tell me I just made that joke. **

**But anyways. Here is chapter 12! I really like this one, so let me know what you think!**

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So, here I was on Friday morning, staring out the front window of my car and completely ignoring the warning bell telling me I would be late for class if I didn't get out there _now, _but I didn't care. Isaac was sitting in my car with what I guessed was a worried look on his face, but I wasn't even looking at him. No, I was just staring out my window at the rain. So much had changed in the past few days, and I had a new found worry that a vision would hit me at any point in the day and I would be unprepared. And the thought terrified me.

"Lauren you know I won't leave you alone at all today," Isaac said, luring my attention back to the present.

"That's not fair, or possible, Isaac. You have class, too." I replied. He needed to learn right?

But he just laughed softly and shook his head. "I haven't been paying attention in class for a long time, way before you got here," I rolled my eyes, and the late bell rang.

"Skip first period?" I suggested, and I floored it out of the parking lot as soon as Isaac nodded.

"Jesus, you drive worse than Stiles!" Isaac yelled as his hand snagged the rail above his window. I'll admit, I had a bit of a lead foot and tended to drive at a constant 5-10 mph over the limit. Not recommended for everyone, kids.

I hollered as I rolled the windows down, making the wind rush around us. The rain had, thankfully, stopped, and it was nice out now. We had to make it back before the 50 minute class was over but for now, it was nice to just drive. I wished we had more time, and mentally made a note to go out after my shopping day with the girls tomorrow.

We pulled into the parking lot with five minutes to spare. Pulling into a parking spot, a feeling of cold rushed up my spine. I grabbed Isaac's hand and looked him in the eyes just before everything went white, leaving me alone with just the vision.

This one was different; I saw flashes now, not a whole scene. The first flash was of the tree, the old one I had been to with Isaac and Scott. The second was of a knife. It had a wicked blade, and it looked like writing on it. The last one was me; and I was utterly alone. My face told me as much, I was without help. I couldn't describe how I could tell this, but something stated that I was to be at that tree by myself. I had never seen that knife before. It was foreign and held power, of that I was certain. Maybe this was to be my first trial…and it all clicked into place.

The scene around me all came flying back; my car, Isaac, and how tightly I was gripping his hand. His other hand was holding my face, and I could hear him repeating my name.

I blinked a few times, signaling I was aware. Isaac pulled me across the car into a hug, and I let my head fall onto his shoulder.

"What did you see? Are you alright" He quickly said. I didn't move from his embrace when I answered. "I think I saw my first trial…but I'm not sure." If I had, did that mean someone was controlling my prophecies? How was that even possible? Isaac made small shushing noises and rubbed circles on my back, calming me down immensely.

Well, I wasn't about to let someone else ruin my day, so I pulled back from Isaac a few inches and pulled him in for a kiss. Then I proceeded to jump out of my car, leaving a very stunned werewolf in my passenger seat, clicking the lock behind me as I walked into school.

_Cause I am the champion, and you're gonna hear me roar._

I made it through the whole day without another vision, and tried my best to ignore the one I had earlier. Isaac was at my side almost as soon as the bell rang that signaled the end of class, and it was humorous to see people react to it. He was fiercely protective, just as a guardian should be. But inside of the school, I didn't think anything would happen so I told him to back off; what was the worst that could happen here?

He settled for standing behind me at all times, as if watching for me to fall so he could be there to catch me. I secretly loved the attention of someone so dedicated to my well-being, but I didn't want to seem clingy. It was a hard balance; I knew I wasn't wholly safe, but having Isaac shadow me all the time seemed idiotic. He needed to live his own life and not just watch mine.

When the final bell rang we met at his locker. I saw him from down the hall, and he must have had his sixth sense on high alert because as soon as I turned the corner he was searching the crowd for me. My face broke into a smile, and I moved through the sea of students towards him. Isaac's hands reached for mine and I laced our fingers together, his smile mirroring the goofy one I knew was plastered on my own. I leaned up to kiss him, pressing him back against his locker in the process. My body eased into his as if we'd been doing this forever, which, unfortunately, we had not. I liked kissing Isaac, he felt safe and warm, and he must use chapstick in secret because damn his lips were soft.

Not wanting to call too much attention to ourselves, I broke away. "How about we continue our drive from earlier?" He asked, pulling my hand as we walked down the hall. I agreed, driving sounded fun and we could find a secluded place to hang out for a while, away from the supernatural occurring of Beacon Hills.

So after an hour of squabbling over which way to go, finally leaving, losing cell phone reception and having to ask a gas station attendant where to go, and parking three miles away, we finally made it to seclusion.

I shut my car door and eyed the distance to the beach, wondering how long it would take us to walk it. Isaac laughed and ran his hand through his hair, calling over the wind, "I just had an idea." Before I could reply, he was scooping me over his shoulder and bolting to the beach. I screamed in delight, and he slowed long enough to swing me to be piggy back riding, and then barreled down the sand. The grains flew everywhere and got in his hair, and he laughed when I brushed it off.

Finally he plopped me down on the soft ground and fell beside me, seeming a bit out of breath. His head rolled back, and I watched him. Isaac seemed so relaxed out here; it was nice to see a change in the wound up boy I generally knew.

He pointed off in the distance to a crest bar sticking out towards the water. "See way out there?" he asked. "That's where I went with my mom once. I was young…three of four, maybe five. My brother and I built a sand castle, and when the tide came in and crashed it down she told us the sea was jealous, and wanted to keep it. Then my brother picked me up and ran as far in the water as he could with me on his shoulders, and my dad swam after us…" he trailed off a bit, and a pleasant memory ghosted across his face.

With a small, gruff laugh, he said, "I guess you don't know much about my family."

The truth was I didn't want to ask. Once he had told me that he was living with Scott, I knew it would be a bad idea to bring it up. But now, seeing him open, I realized just how much of Isaac Lahey was a mystery to me. So I rolled my sleeves up and picked up some sand, ready to listen to him speak about his past.

"My family…we used to be great. There were four of us; my mom, dad, older brother and me. I guess when my brother, Camden, was born it was all they could hope for. A beautiful baby boy, my dad would say. He was always proud of him and everything he did. Like nothing could go wrong. But when I was born, I was unexpected. A burden, I think. More expenses, more time off from work for my mom, and more stress. So my dad was never as fond of me as I'd have liked, but we got closer as I got older and he came to terms with me. When I was five, Camden said it all changed, and we became a golden family. My mom and I were always a team, we did everything together. Soccer games, grocery shopping, even baseball games when they came to town. But about eight years ago she got real sick, and died suddenly from cancer." Hearing this made me stop playing around and pay attention. I got the impression he didn't tell many people this.

"When she passed, my world collapsed. I had no one to tell me everything would be alright, and that responsibility fell to my dad. I was ten years old, and my brother fourteen. I always felt like Camden closed off to the subject of mom, and became very focused on joining the army like my father had done. Dad was so proud the day the acceptance letter came, and I remember he turned to me and said, 'Where's your letter, boy?' and then they laughed like it was some joke. My father had been tolerant up to that point, but Camden had sheltered me from all the drinking when I was young.

Camden got shipped off, and that's when the beatings started," Isaac paused for a minute, rubbing his eyes to keep calm. I reached out and laced my fingers through his, hoping he could realize I was there for him.

"My father beat me for two years before anything happened. He did awful things, Lauren. One time he locked me in a freezer for hours, just because I had been late from school. I didn't get it, why did he change? But now I see it was his way of grieving; much more physical than mine. The worst was when my brother was killed in action." His voice broke, and he coughed before continuing. "Too close to tell which side had hit him, but we had a little service for him with other military families in the next town over.

I think it was worse because then my father leaned on me for a while. He was overly nice, and would try to show he cared. And for some time I thought it was a miracle, I got the father I had always wanted. But he craved the power too much, and doubled the beatings.

When Derek bit me, I saw it as a blessing. It was a way out; I didn't need to be powerless. I could finally stand up for myself. But then my dad was killed, and I realized that I was all alone. Sometimes it felt better knowing he would never hit me, and I know things are better off with him gone. But to have no one?" his blue eyes mirrored the ocean as he looked out over the crashing waves. "Sometimes I wish I still had a constant reminder in my life that family can be better than that. I don't miss him at all, but I miss what we used to have. It's hard to explain…" he drifted off.

For a while, we didn't say anything. Simply nothing needed to be said. But I felt like one weight had been pulled off my shoulders and another dumped right on. Isaac seemed like a hard case to crack, and in this situation I couldn't apply too much pressure or he might break. And I couldn't think of anything worse.

We spent the day at the beach building sand castles and counting sand dollars, not caring that the world outside had continued to spin without us. I had sea spray in my hair, which caused my naturally dark wavy strands to poof into a giant curly mess, and Isaac loved it. He kept running his fingers through it, making me shiver; in a good way, of course.

"This will be your room," I said as I stuck a piece of wood into the sand house I was currently working on. "No!" he protested and ripped the strip out. I raised one eyebrow at him and watched as he gently placed it on the other side. "This is mine."

"Umm…you just took the entire side of the house that faces the sea." I gawked. "Not fair, sir. Not fair at all."

"Well then, how about I pay you for it?" He said, a grin spreading out across his face.

I laughed, and shoved him with my shoulder. "And what equates to having the only side with a view?"

Grabbing my hand and slowly tracing designs up my arm, he whispered, "Oh. I have my form of dues."

A soft "oh" escaped my lips, and my eyes were trained on his fingers working up my skin. Warm flames danced wherever he touched me, and this was one time I was willing to place my chances on playing with fire. When he reached my neck I sighed. I have to admit, that is my Achilles' heel. I knew for certain I was a goner. The whole stupid house could be his.

He leaned in so close his eyelashes brushed my cheeks, but his lips barely touched mine. They felt like a shadow; something just out of reach. I finally couldn't take it any longer and closed the small space between us. My hands reached up and grabbed his shirt for support, and so I could pull him in closer. I entwined one hand in his hair, and this time he moaned. Aha, he _did _have a weakness.

Isaac pulled back and said, "No, this is my payment." and pushed my lightly onto the ground. I laughed, sand wedging in my hair and toes. Isaac lay down next to me and picked up where we left off, hearing no complaints from me. The feeling of the warm sand on my back combined with Isaac's touch was bliss, not much could top this for a perfect day.

We stayed at the beach for another hour before calling it quits. It was almost dark and the sun had set, leaving us with little light to continue 'building houses'. When I squinted into the distance to find my car, I saw that we were about two miles, give or take a bit, from where we parked. I spun around and asked Isaac, "You ran here in like, three minutes. How far was it?"

He just shrugged, and I laughed, taking his hand. It seemed so nonchalant to run three miles at werewolf speed, but hey I won't complain about the perks.

After making it back to the car in record time, we began our drive home. You could tell when we reached the cell towers again because Scott had texted us both saying we could eat pizza with him and Stiles for dinner. I felt butterflies of excitement at this, I was making real friends. Isaac said we should go to my house for dinner, and I laughed and pulled onto the McCall's street. No way was I facing my mother with my hair like this and the only explanation being "we were at the beach."

I whipped my tousled strands up into a bun as we walked up to Scott's house, excited to eat pepperoni pizza. Isaac used his key to let us in and we were met with the sounds of two teenage boys cussing up a storm.

Isaac looked at me sheepishly, and I raised an eyebrow in response. What the heck was going on?

Upon further exploration, we found Scott and Stiles playing video games, screaming at the other team as they got their asses handed to them.

"Take that you flaming pile of shit! Yeah, that's right. I _did_ do your mother last you lousy, filthy human sack of – "

I cleared my throat, causing Stiles to cut off mid-sentence. He whipped around, his face instantly dropping, and his eyes widened to the size of plates. Isaac looked mortified, bright faced, but slightly amused. Scott just waved and continued to mash buttons on his Xbox controller, ignoring that Stiles hadn't continued playing.

There was something so comical about the picture before me that I had to laugh. What did I care if I head cuss words? Not like I hadn't dropped a few f bombs myself.

"Umm, Stiles, if you don't kill that guy I think you lose," I said as I pointed over his shoulder towards the screen. He blinked, and turned back to his game.

Isaac and I grabbed pizza, but I was disappointed to find that all the pepperoni was gone. "Aw man, who ate the good stuff?" I whined.

Stiles' hand shot in the air, and he was holding the crust to what was apparently the last slice of my favorite pizza. Grumbling, I sat down with two pieces of cheese instead, none too pleased. Joking, of course. But Stiles caught one look at my face and placed a bet. "Lauren, whoever wins this round of Call of Duty, you or me, can eat the last piece of pepperoni pizza." I stared at him. Was he stupid? I had played video games in the past, but watching him just a few minutes ago told me I stood next to a very slim chance of winning. But he did have my favorite pizza…

"Deal." And I took the controller from Scott's outstretched hand, moving so that I sat next to Stiles.

"No!" Scott screamed behind me, "Quit screen watching! You gotta kill him!" Four minutes in and by some act of God we were tied. Stiles was gripping his controller for dear life and leaned forward. I sat back, but true to what Scott said was staring at the other boy's screen. Suddenly a plan formed in my mind, and I decided to go for it. I moved up to match Stiles' body language, and just as he was about to round the corner…

"Ahh! NO!" Stiles called from the ground. I stood up victorious, and he evil eyed me. "You play dirty, O'Brien." Then after a pause, he stuck his hand up and said, "I like it." The only reason I won those pizza slices was because I shoved him over at the last minute, but in my mind the only other option would have been to tickle him, and for all I know I could have been punched in the face.

So after our victory meal, I got slaughtered by all three boys in another round of video games. But it was so much fun; I wouldn't have traded my time in to be anywhere else. Especially when I caught Isaac so entranced by the game he completely blocked us all out. But all in all, I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my night.

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	13. Chapter 13

**Resubmitted chapter, longer note about it at bottom. **

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Saturday morning found me groaning as I rolled over to swat at my alarm clock, stopping the incessant beeping that sounded like the devil. "Too early," I muttered as the time swam into focus. Ugh. 6:30. What was this, a Monday? Why should anyone wake up before it hit double digits on the weekend? It seemed that I had forgotten to change my alarm from the usual school day.

A foot shot out and kicked me in response to being awake and I gasped at the pain that shot through my calf. Isaac bolted upright, his face littered with worry at what he had accidentally done. "Lauren! Are you ok? I'm so sorry, I move in my sleep."

"So I noticed," I replied as I winced. Looking down at the spot, it was a bit red, but hopefully not enough pressure had been applied to form a bruise. I would never hear the end of how sorry Isaac was if it looked like he had harmed me, even if I knew it was an accident. Ignoring it, I rolled over and went back to sleep. I vaguely heard Isaac getting up, but the fog of sleep pulled me under before I could say anything.

I dozed for another couple of hours until my alarm went off again at 9:00. I sat up and stretched, hearing the satisfying pops come from my back. All relaxed now, I turned off my phone and quietly snuck to the closet to dress for my outing with Allison and Lydia, excited to be getting some real girl time.

I hummed a song under my breath as I put on my makeup. Not too much, just face powder to get rid of the oiliness, eyeliner on the top lids, mascara, and a bit of blush to brighten my face up. Finally I walked over to my closet and examined my clothes, settling on some white crop jeans, a turquoise flowing top and my brown boat shoes. I grabbed a headband that had gold and brown bands woven together to top it off. Even if I felt cute, I wasn't sure of the Beacon Hills standard, and I had a feeling that Lydia Martin had her own set to live up to.

Not that I didn't like Lydia, it was that I couldn't figure her out yet. Most people had a way about them that I could read easily, and I knew how to act when I was near them. But for some reason the red head had my people skills radar scrambled, and I was left running on pure instinct.

About ten minutes before Lydia pulled up to my house, I was sitting downstairs eating a bowl of cereal and trying very hard not to spill any milk on my blouse. In no way was I clumsy, but sometimes the universe had a strange way of laughing at me. Then, my phone buzzed with a message that read: _here. _She didn't get out of her car to fetch me of course, but I rolled my eyes in admiration with a smile and walked down the stone path towards her car after locking up my house. The small sports car made my car turn green with envy, and I could feel the betrayal as my hand grasped the newly waxed handle, swinging open and releasing the swell of music.

Lydia looked fantastic, as always. Why some girls got to be brilliant, gorgeous, and able to afford whatever they wanted baffled me, but Lydia Martin was definitely one of those lucky few. I smiled at Allison in the front seat, and climbed into the back. Lydia waited about .02 seconds for me to sit down before she tore off, her tires screeching on the pavement.

_And Isaac thought I drove badly, _I thought as I launched my arms out in any direction to hold on for dear life.

Three hours later we were still shopping. By then we had made it successfully through Macy's, Pandora, Forever 21 (although Lydia had mostly sneered thought that one), and were now browsing Nordstrom's. I had found a great pair of black boots that were short and laced up, exactly what I had been looking for.

Allison agreed with me that they looked awesome, in her words, "You could kick some ass and then go to the club," which was true. Even Lydia had agreed, so after I purchased them I met the two girls looking at jewelry.

"Isn't this just to die for?" Lydia asked Allison, holding up a thin gold chain with a silver ivy leaf weaving through the front quarter of it. Allison held it for a moment, and then whispered, "Lydia this is _two thousand dollars." _

My eyes widened to the size of plates, all the while staring at the enchanting necklace. Sure, it was ten shades of gorgeous, but something like a necklace shouldn't cost that much. Or, at least Allison and I thought so.

Lydia pouted, holding the chain in a different light. "Oh well," she sighed. "Maybe mommy will feel generous for my birthday this year." And walked off to look at rings. Allison and I stared at each other, and then she laughed at my expression.

Allison pointed at one she thought was pretty, and Lydia suggested, "Maybe Scott should get it for you," in such a nonchalant way I was startled. "Scott?" I said. "Scott McCall? You two are dating?"

"Oh honey," Lydia laughed, "they are so deep in puppy love it's not even funny."

The irony of the joke struck me, and I wondered if Lydia was in the know about werewolves and, well, _me_. Then I looked at Allison and wondered if she knew anything, but I didn't want to ask and come across as crazy.

So we kept shopping, and I bought a shirt from a little ritzy store Lydia showed us that was on sale. Allison leaned towards dark clothes, and when I suggested a pink top that would have looked nice on her, she wrinkled her nose and said her dad wouldn't approve.

We stopped to get pretzels and I had to use the bathroom, so I walked around the corner when it started. I felt the all too familiar buzzing in the back of my skull and ran to lock myself in the bathroom before the prophecy hit me. Just as I slid the lock in place, my vision turned white, and I was lost to the scene that played out before me.

A full moon hung in the sky above me, and clouds flitted in front of it, causing shadows to dance upon the ground. Isaac stood in front of me, alone, and I knew from experience that yelling at him would change nothing. It didn't lessen the want to run and hold his hand, but I could at least restrain myself.

His head whipped around as if he was looking for someone, and he called out, "Hello?" warily. Peering around, it became certain he was awaiting a meeting.

"I got your message, I did what you asked, now here I am," he yelled. His back tensed as he sensed something, and turning slowly he faced to my right. Panic flittered across his features, and he turned to run, but was grabbed from behind and pulled to the ground. Something was off about this vision though, I couldn't see whatever was attacking him. Like a brick wall had been built in my brain, the more I focused on it the more my vision was shot elsewhere. Isaac rolled over and tried to escape again, but was caught, and this time let out a terrible yell as a huge gash appeared that ran from his shoulder to his hip bone.

"Isaac!" I screamed while running forward, uncaring that it wasn't real yet. Isaac was hurt, and as much as he called himself my protector, he was also mine to watch out for. I had dragged him into this mess; there was no way in hell I was leaving him to defend himself.

Throwing myself in front of him, I stood to my full height to try and protect future Isaac. When the mystery attacker hit me, it felt as though I had been flattened by a train. I was thrown back, and could have sworn I heard a voice talk into my mind saying, "_You stay out of this,"_ before Isaac let out a terrible scream.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't _move_. It was terrifying and awful, and I felt like I was being drowned inside a black hole. Nothing made sense about this, I wasn't supposed to be able to interact with anyone in my visions, or at least I hadn't in the past.

I was suddenly rushed back to my real body, and air returned to my lungs, causing me to take a huge gasp.

There was someone else in the bathroom with me, and I saw her boots below the stall door. Allison poked her head around the door that was broken open and took one look at me before raising her phone to her ear, saying something I could just not make out. She started to sway, or maybe it was me, because when she grabbed my shoulders to steady me, she kept moving. The next thing I knew, Allison had bent me forward so that my head was between my knees, and I was being instructed to take deep breaths. Something bumped into be arm, and I looked over to see her shoving a bow into her bag. _What the hell?_ I thought as my vision became clearer.

After a few minutes, I sat up and blinked away the stars that clouded my vision. Looking over at Allison scrolling through her phone, it all seemed surreal; how had she known I was in trouble? And why did she have a bow hidden in her purse?

I opened my mouth to speak, but Allison beat me to it. "So it seems you've joined the club," she said, an almost sad note coloring her words. I nodded, hoping I wouldn't have to explain everything to her. She sighed, and continued. "When Scott said Isaac had found you, at first I thought he meant that he found a girl. But now I see that he literally found you, as in a supernatural homing instinct finding. There's a lot you don't know, and much more you won't understand," she said while standing up and brushing herself off, "but we can talk about that later. One thing you need to know is that Lydia is not a part of this. She's clean as far as we can tell, and I'd like to keep my best friend safe from harm. So why don't you figure out how to tell me about what just happened, and we can get coffee tomorrow? Let's just finish shopping and go home for today." And with that she walked out.

I liked Allison, I really did. She was strong, independent, and was knowingly dating a werewolf. But something seemed off, and I reminded myself that tomorrow was not just about me finding out to the Beacon Hills story, but also about the people. And Allison topped my list of those to investigate.

Later that night as I sat with my family for dinner, we were discussing a new destination my father had been assigned to fly to. He was ecstatic to go to Greece, but my mother and I saw the danger given our family history. "Dad, we're descended from there, from the Gods. Do you think it's safe?" I asked him.

My mother shook her head and sided with me. "Robert, I think you're going to have to sit this one out. And I'm so sorry, I know you were looking forward to this, but especially right now I don't think it's a good idea."

My father's face fell, and I could see how much it meant to him. Even as a kid, he had taught me all about Greek Mythology, and even as I was living it now, he still seemed so interested.

"Why don't you fly to Portugal? I've heard it's lovely this time of year," My mom suggested instead. Dad shrugged and pushed his food around his plate, mulling over what had been said.

"Oh," he looked up quickly, thinking of something. "This came for you today Lauren. We think it's something to do with your trials…" and he reached behind him for the counter to scoop an envelope for me. It was heavy, and when I held it I felt a sense of belonging fall into place.

"Can I be excused?" I asked, and when my parents laughed and agreed I bolted upstairs, frantic to open the letter.

But when I finally did, I was confused. Inside was not a note, or anything in writing. Instead it was just a blank piece of paper. My heart dropped with disappointment as I turned it over, inspecting the back for any sense of what it was supposed to be. Shrugging, I left it open on my dresser and went back downstairs. My parents were watching a movie, but I opted to not join. Pushing air out between my lips and filled with boredom, I tried to read for a while, but was completely unsuccessful. I felt distracted by everything and nothing all at once, and it was infuriating. Something buzzed in my veins but I couldn't identify the source, lost to the power that surged within me.

Finally giving up, I went to bed and tried to fall asleep. I rolled over a few times, and sat up to smack my pillow into a better shape, but I slowly slipped into unconsciousness and relaxed.

A few hours later however, I awoke, fully alert and my senses at high levels. Not knowing what shook me from my sleep, I glanced around my room to find the source. From my dresser came a strange light, glowing bright white and illuminating the entire area. I gradually stood up and crept towards it, nervous about what I would find.

It was the blank note I had received earlier, except now it was anything but blank. Shining on the page like a beacon was a symbol that I had come to know these past few days while living in this strange part of California, and I felt my blood pump in my ears as it clicked into place as to what was about to happen. On the letter was the eye, the one that had been on my hands and burned into my memory. With shaking hands, I reached out and traced the figure, power flowing through it.

A voice called out from no particular source and said a few words that, bizarrely enough, filled me with a strange desire.

"_Lauren, it is time. _

_It is time for the first trial to begin."_

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**Ok so not all that different, but I feel SO much better about how this turned out. Thank you for dealing with my little panic attack. **

**Now that I feel more on track, expect another update this week! I think I'm going to delete the other chapter 13 in a few days, but keep the inbetween one because it has the little bit at the end. This is the real chapter 13.**

** Love you all, thank you so much.**

**Review and let me know what you think! **


	14. Update

**Ok guys, so this isn't exactly a new chapter, but new developments on the story itself. I'd really appreciate if you read, because this is important and will pertain to the story later. **

**So as you all know I've been struggling with getting updates out when I promised, and I've been beating myself up over it, but I have hit such a huge case of writers block it's driving me mad. I think what happened is that this story burned to be written and I got so carried away. At first I posted the first five chapters all in like one week. This is not me giving up on this story, please know that now. I will continue writing until this story is done, and I have SO much more to write, don't you even worry. But looking back now at some of the stuff I've written is making me cringe and wonder if I should rewrite it a bit. Nothing huge or plot changing, but rather small things that wouldn't stick out so much in my mind. The one that I think of all the time is in like chapter two when Isaac's standing at her kitchen sink, and he's got the cut on his hip and I'm thinking **_**WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!**_** And to this day it bothers me. **

**I truly didn't want this story to turn out like just another fangirl story; I had something much, much bigger in mind. And I'm not saying that fangirl stories are bad, I love them! But many of you commented on this saying that yes, she's into Isaac, and sure some fluff is cute, but this is predominantly an adventure, and that comes first. That last chapter I wrote with Lauren and Isaac waking up together was uncomfortable for me in some ways. Yeah, it's always fun to read that, but it took away so much from what I wanted to say, and now I feel like that chapter was a waste. **

**If you will all forgive me (I owe you all so much, I love that you enjoy reading this. I was really worried it would be written off as a dumb idea, but the reactions were beautiful) I think I'm taking this week off. There's a lot I need to think about with this story, and what most likely is going to happen is that I'll just keep writing, but change the direction I was going in to make it more about Lauren rather than Lauren with Isaac. **

**But, seeing as I can't just post a life update without a story update, here's an exclusive look into Peter's mind during part of the story! And a little snippet of things to come**

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Peter slid the loft door into place with a loud click that reverberated throughout the large room and pulled Derek from his room, acting as a signal for the departure of their guests. He sighed, rubbing his hands together in a way that made his nephew's eyebrows rise. Something in Peter's expression threw him off, and he was dying to know what.

"Didn't you feel it?" Peter said, his eyes shining like a child's on Christmas morning.

"What?" Derek replied, an almost laziness creeping into his tone.

"The raw, unadulterated_ power_ that radiates off that girl. God it's like a minefield." His arms were crossed, but nothing about his stance gave away the feeling of being closed off like he normally did. Derek just shook his head, a thought slowly forming in his mind.

"Are you going to add her to your collection of supernatural things? Is that why you called on the prophets?" All Derek's life he had watched Peter be the puppet master on a stage of greater beings, and slowly but surely he was building an army. First with Derek himself, which he couldn't complain about now, then Scott and his friends, and the countless others he had tried and failed to turn into werewolves for his own pack. There was no doubt in Derek's mind that Peter had failed more times than he let on to try and make more members to add. the death's on Peter's head however weighed nothing, haunting him without a care.

"Do you realize the advantage we gain by having her here? Never again do we need to fear a surprise attack, and we can learn things from the past, judging on how she recognized me." The wheels in his head were turning; calculating a plan for things he didn't know existed yet.

That was the thing about Peter that, in secret, still scared Derek. He was a planner, a master creator, and no one but him seemed to recognize that yet. So many times he would watch his uncle's face and see that instead of a look of shock or terror, there would be a firm smugness, confirming he knew ahead of time that actions that would unfold. It could be something as simple as an unexpected guest arriving, or a monumental event that usually turned into a fight.

"Well, I doubt that Isaac will let you do anything to her, seeing as he's her protector or whatever you told them." Derek let out a sigh as he sat back into the large couch in the make shift living room. It was full of feathers and gave as Derek put his weight on to it, acting as a nice reprieve after a long day of being a Hale.

Peter crossed the room, trying to devise a plan that would allow him the full power of Lauren's abilities. Then it clicked.

"Well, I told them that they couldn't be together, and I meant every word. Throughout the history of the prophets, no guardian has ever stayed with his charge and lived a full life…or the other way around. I was just warning them so they could be prepared." Peter was lying. And from the look on Derek's face had done a good job. He had no idea if dating your guardian resulted in a stronger bond or one that ended with someone crying over a dead body, but he had a few things in mind.

The first was that Lauren needed to grow. Her power needed to, that is. Without proper training and passing her trials with flying colors, there was no way she could handle the amount of power that was being thrust upon her.

The second thing was that Isaac Lahey needed to be dealt with. Knowing that he was in Derek's little pack made things complicated, but undoubtedly Peter could come up with something to keep the pup at bay.

Third and finally, Peter knew that he needed to be in a better seat of power with their new addition to their small group, and he only had one thing in mine.

He needed to become Lauren's new guardian.

* * *

**SO! With that little tid bit I wanted to ask your advice, dear friends. What do you think I should do? Rewrite the things I want to and post them as new chapters, then continue on? Or just say hey, I made it 13 chapters in and LOVE it, so just keep going? Or a new plan? I take what you all say pretty seriously, so any help would be greatly appreciated. **

**THANKS AND LOVE YOU ALL. **

**Ps still sorry this isn't a real update…**


	15. Chapter 15

**Guess whose back **

**Also, you should listen to Feel Again and I Lived by One Republic during the visions at the end of the chapter, they take on such a great mood with them!**

**Longer note at bottom.**

* * *

I could feel more than hear my heart pumping in my ears as the blood rushed to my head, causing the most intense head rush I'd ever experienced in my life. There was a blinding white light, a brush of air passing over me, and a finality of when I knew my location had changed. I gradually blinked away the dizzy feeling and observed my surroundings.

All around me were giant towering pillars that soared into a ceiling four stories above ground level. They lined the hall I was standing in apparently alone, and were blank with small veins running around them. Decorating the ceiling was a giant painting of the Gods dining at dinner, reminding me of the Last Supper piece with Jesus Christ. I spotted Apollo and a smile formed on my face, pulling a smirk to one side of my face. He was beautiful, there was no denying why he had been referenced throughout history as one to rival with in looks. His bow and arrows were slung across his back, shining gold in the morning light. But the differences in our appearances were obvious to me now. Where I had dark hair that waved throughout, he had golden blond hair that curled tightly at the nape of his neck and framed his face. Big blue eyes stared down at those who passed by, while I observed the world through my brown ones, but my olive complexion was similar to the man my prophet powers had descended from. Out behind the pillars were four doors, two on each side of the room. And at the second level was a balcony that extended to the pillars. Beaming railings prevented people from falling, but I wondered if anyone had accidentally slipped from the end of the ledge, a thought that made me shudder.

My footsteps echoed in the grand hall as I walked towards the main door, or what I presumed it to be. The other four were shut around me and I alleged them to be locked. Something inside of me told me to proceed forward, so I did.

Pushing open the door I was finally greeted by the first human I had seen in this peculiar place. For reasons unknown, I wasn't frightened to be there, but more curious as to the mechanics behind it. My eyes were everywhere at once, taking in the four shrouded figures that stood before me, to the balcony that continued around the circular room from the second level like it had in the hall, to the grand contours and swirls that covered the floor. This slighter room was vastly changed from my previous surroundings. A chamber shaped like a circle rather than a hallway.

A voice brought me out of my dreams by speaking in a deep, grumbly voice that resonated with power.

"Lauren, daughter of Apollo, seeker of truth through the prophecy, you have been summoned before the council to seal your fate."

The words rang through me, and I knew that I would memorize everything they said.

"Tonight we learn of the strength that wells inside of you, and the power you will grow to encumber. The trials are designed to challenge and inform you, not harm or inflict conflict. But try as we might, sometimes things…happen that are out of our control. You have been forewarned."

My heart kicked up a notch in my chest, worry blooming like a flower at his warning.

I called out, insecurity lacing my voice with a slight shake that I fought against. "What is that supposed to mean? Are people in danger?"

I could feel the glare more than see it from underneath his hood. Something told me that initiates rarely spoke up, and never to call out issues with the trials.

"You are to remain silent for the duration of the beginning, prophet. This is an ancient and sacred ritual you are speaking against."

My eyes followed the man as he flowed to the other side of the room, seeming to heave out an enormous book of some sorts. Dust brimmed on the cover and floated through the air with each step the man took. The council member stopped in front of me, yet standing on a step above which gave me the first real glance at his face.

Wise eyes spoke from under the dark hood, but they were an unnatural color. A mix between grey, black, and stardust covered the whole eye and not just where the iris should be, so instead a shining brilliance looked back at me. Other than that, this could be any other man I ran into on the street. High cut cheekbones, a small mouth, and a broad forehead all seemed completely ordinary.

His mouth twitched at my reaction, and he continued on. "It has been drawn to our attention that you were not raised to be a prophet, and there for do not know the ways and rules that come along with it. Children who are raised on this path traditionally begin training at age four, when the visions begin. You are a altered case, and must be taught along the way.

There are three trials, as you know, and each is unalike. Depending on how you do in each determines how we approach the next, and the final trial will show us which tier you belong in. Merely being a prophet is not enough, and you must earn your way up. I have given you the codex. After we begin, read it, for without you will be lost in the changes your life has taken. And do not tread this lightly; many things now rest on your shoulders."

The book that dropped into my hands was surprisingly light for the size I had made it out to be. I held it with ease, and watched at the council again became a straight line of order and obedience.

"Before we begin, there is one more thing."

This time the voice came from the farthest member on the left, a shorter and broader man than the leader. His head lifted up, and I saw his hands move about in his cloak sleeves.

"Every prophet who makes it to the trials is rewarded with a mark, a brand, if you will, to prove to the world that you are stronger and real power flows through your veins. Lauren, if you will step forward to begin your descent into our life," and he gestured to the space next to him. I stepped hesitantly, for the word 'brand' brought dreadful images to my mind, and I prayed to God they weren't as gruesome as they used to be.

My nerves were on high alert as the short man reached for my arm, drawing it in front of him as if to evaluate it. Abruptly his hand shot out with a sharp looking object that dripped a dark liquid, and he began to draw on the soft skin of my forearm, two inches away from my wrist.

At first it didn't hurt, and I stared with morbid fascination. But when my mind registered the pain, I can't ever recall screaming louder. The pain, to say the very least, was excruciating. Flames licked the tender flesh where the man dragged his instrument, ignoring my cries for help and inadequate squirming, as his grip was as tight as iron. For minutes I endured the throbbing in my arm, instinct alone pulling me away. When he released my, I nearly fell backwards from how hard I had been trying to escape. Looking down at my arm I saw the mark of what was left.

The eye symbol seemed to be one that represented prophets, for now it was branded in an extraordinarily beautiful way, with four lesser stars around it. The pain was subsiding, but the memory was etched into my mind of the suffering that had occurred not a minute before. Strangely enough, I enjoyed the way the ink played off my arm. It didn't reflect like normal tattoos did, but instead had a slight glimmer to it, reminding me of the leader of the council's eyes.

Clutching my arm left the book stuck under my other arm, and this seemed to aggravate the council. Guarding their precious relics was not high on my list at the moment and I felt the need to tell them it had to be earned, but the leader waved his arm at me, impatient to move forward.

"Now that you are branded, know that you passed the first test of trial one; the mark. Not every prophet lives past this stage. It means that you are strong, and we expect greatness from you."

With that, he led the other three robed men through a door I had not previously seen, and I hurried after them. The narrow hallway led into a much smaller room that held only a few things; a long table with bench seats under it, a slight pitcher of water, and an assortment of glasses. The leader of the council gestured for me to sit opposite of him, and I did, noting that the other men all stood against the wall.

"What should I call you all? Do you have names?" I asked the men, tired of not knowing simple things like this.

They seemed to contemplate this for a moment, the leader cocking his head to the side. Finally he spoke. "You may call me Klaus, and these are Kris, Michael, and Zenobio. Each name has meaning, as you will soon discover, and it is up to you to determine if the name Lauren is sufficient."

The way he said my name made it sound like a bug he very much wanted gone, and offense swelled in my chest at the hidden accusation.

"Do you know what the name Lauren means?" I countered, pleased that I finally had something to say back to Klaus. "Lauren stems from the laurel tree, which has always been seen as a symbol for honor, and for victory. Also, Apollo, the prophet I descend from, is associated with the laurel tree closely. I find names to be symbolic, don't you? So as my birth declared, I will be victorious, and you can call me my real name, Lauren."

Klaus, to my small annoyance, smiled at my miniature speech, and folded his hands gently on the table in front of us.

"Well then _Lauren_, let your first trial commence."

And the air around me seemed to warp as the pull of a vision overcame me.

"No," the voice growled, "do it again."

"I can't!" I cried back, drained and beaten. I had been forced to have vision after vision until I had the sensation under control so I would no longer be caught off guard when they struck me. I wasn't seeing anything now, but the feeling of ice rushing up my body and my eye sight being blinded by white light was growing old. My body ached with strain, and I fought with every fiber of my instinct to not drown in the images again.

Klaus closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Lauren, you must learn to control this. You cannot proceed with the trials without it."

I sighed internally, and asked him to explain to me once more the process I had apparently ignored.

"Now that you have the marking on your wrist, you must simply make this motion," and his wrist floated through the air in two small swoops, "then close your eyes and feel the vision rush over you. That is the icy sensation you described earlier."

It _should_ be easy, or so I thought. But for some reason I couldn't pick up on the gesture and it didn't make sense to me that some swoop of my arm could bring on the prophecies like they had before. Maybe not growing up with all of this had damped my abilities as well as my prophet studies. I had a lot of catching up to do. But try as I might, I needed to pass this trial. So once again, I pulled my arm up so my tattoo faced the ceiling, then twisted it over and brought it to heart level, not expecting anything different to happen this time around.

And yet, something did. Not only did I control the start of a vision, I actually saw one.

Allison stood alone in the woods, turning circles with a determined look on her face. A bow was notched in her arms, arrows ready to be shot. A sound I couldn't hear must have caught her attention, and her bow swung round to face that direction. She smirked, and released an arrow, the _twang _of the string rocking her back on her feet. The arrow flew with extreme precision and struck the wooden target, directly in the center. Allison whooped with joy and threw her empty hand in the air, celebrating her victory.

Then the scene changed.

Before me now were Scott and Stiles, playing games on the TV. It seemed that they were relaxing and avoiding all stress causers, a thing people needed to do more often. Scott pushed Stiles over in a joke, and the other boy jumped back over and the two began to wrestle, laughing all the while. Beeping from the garage signaled a car had been locked, and the owner was on the way in, but Scott and Stiles were very much involved in who was stronger to notice the petite brunette with bags of groceries walk in. Upon seeing the two before her, she rolled her eyes affectionately and muttered, "Boys," and the scene went white again.

Now I saw Lydia in her room, I presumed, holding a beautiful dress up to cover her frame. She sashayed back and forth, and then called out to someone in the hall. "Mom! I need your help." A red headed woman with Lydia's chin walked in, smiling at her daughter. Mrs. Martin plucked a blue scarf off the bed and waltzed over to Lydia, draping the accessory over her shoulder. "There," she pronounced, smiling at the ensemble. Lydia beamed at her mom and kissed her on the cheek, smiling in a way I had never seen her do before. It was the last I saw of the happy duo before my vision changed again.

The last scene I saw had the person I had been most looking forward too, and Isaac was smiling and laughing at something I couldn't see. He, too, was in the McCall household, surrounded by Scott and his mother. Food on their plates was piled high, and I chuckled at the thought of how fast it would all be demolished. The room was warm and soft music played in the background filling the place with a pleasant feeling. A moment later, someone knocked on the door, and Scott punched Isaac playfully on the arm, telling him, "That's her! Go answer it," and Isaac replied by jumping up and attempting his shirt to lie flat before darting down the hall. I hadn't noticed before, but there was an empty plate setting as if they were expecting company. Just as I followed Isaac down the hall to see the mysterious visitor, my vision started to fade out. Straining through the fog, I saw him greet them with a hug, and was shocked to see the dark hair was mine. I smiled though, and hoped this would all come true.

It seemed that I had learned a bit about the people I called my friends, and witnessed them in one of their happiest states. Allison had achieved a perfect shot without aid from someone around her, but she was never alone. Scott and Stiles were happy acting as brothers, and although I didn't know the two of them particularly well I hoped in the future I would. Lydia was with her mother, a person I guessed she pulled a lot of her strength from. Isaac was encircled by people who obviously cared about him, myself included. These people would play huge parts in the times to come, and although I still had huge steps to take with my trials, a feeling in me said that I had passed the first test.

This feeling was further confirmed by the fact that I was no longer staring at Klaus' eyes, but my own bedroom. The familiar shapes of furniture appeared around me, dark shadows in the lack of light. I looked back to where I found the note and saw that more had been scribbled on to it. Now, in addition to the eye that matched the one on my arm, was a short black line. It must have meant that I passed my first trial, and when I squinted I saw more.

Next to it was written in neat print the word 'control.' Klaus had repeated that word so often I wondered if it was the theme of the beginning trial, and now I was certain. Beside the note was the tome that I had been instructed to read containing the lessons of the prophets, and I shuddered as I saw the page count.

But, the lack of sleep and the amount of effort the trial had cost me had me yawning in no time, so I climbed back into bed to envelope myself in the warmth of my blankets.

Something felt off though, and I realized my blankets were still warm. Looking around I didn't see Isaac yet so that only left one option.

I fumbled around in the dark until my phone lit up with the time. _2:37 am. _Being so early it all took a moment to set in, but I realized that no time had passed during my trial, or at least no time had passed here in this world. Shaking my head in disbelief, I figured I could sort everything out in the morning. My friends would be there, and if anything had been proven tonight it was that I could make it through with them by my side.

Passing the first trial gave me enough visions for a while, so I was more than grateful when I had a deep, dreamless night of well-deserved sleep.

**Hey guys! I'm back, like I said, just super late. **

**I hate to say this, but I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update in the future and wanted to give you a heads up. Between moving into my apartment and getting ready for school I may not have a ton of free time, but know that I cannot abandon this story and will continue to the end. Everything is written out and I'm so excited to see how you like it**

**Ps do you all get excited when you hear this song on the radio? I scream and turn it up so loud. **

**Also, is anyone out there an artist on DeviantArt? I may have a proposition in mind…**

**Thanks! Let me know what you think!**


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